Ten African countries accuse European Union of endangering global hippo population

The European Union was accused by 10African countries of negatively impacting the survival of hippopotamus due to their stand on the proposed commercial trade ban. According to the documents submitted by the countries - Benin, Burkina Faso, Central African Republic, Gabon, Guinea, Liberia, Mali, Niger, Senegal, and Togo, the population of hippos has dropped drastically in the last decade.

According to The Guardian, the hippo population in Algeria, Egypt, Eritrea, Liberia, and Mauritania has been wiped out due to constant illegal hunting for ivory which is extremely valuable on the global marketand as a result, the demand for a blanket ban has dominated headlines for quite some time.

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However, the EU is expected to oppose a complete ban on hippo products at the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora(Cites) conferencein Panama.

“By openly opposing our proposal, the EU is jeopardising the chances of the west and central Africa region, which are range states of more than half of the hippo populations, to adequately ensure the survival of the species. Hippos have been silently dying for 30 years. We must act quickly before they become extinct,” a letter from the African countries to the EU high command read.

The global population has also taken a hit recently with a drop of around 30-50 per cent in the last decade and it can mainly be attributed to the meat and ivory trade. The issue was also recognised by International Union for the Conservation of Nature as they were classified as “vulnerableto extinction".