ambassador Marquardt's speeches

Remarks by U.S. Ambassador Niels Marquardt

CARPE Inception Workshop

As prepared
Opening Ceremony
Wednesday February 7, 2007

Excellency, the Minister of Forests and Wildlife,

Honored guests and friends of the environment,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

I am delighted to be here today for the opening of what I hope and expect will be a very productive workshop.  I welcome you all to Cameroon and thank you in advance for your important roles in implementing Phase II of CARPE.

CARPE, as many of you know, is responsible for implementing the most important environmental program the United States has in this region, the Congo Basin Forest Partnership.  This expansive program, launched in 2002, has three main goals, to: 1) conserve the unique natural resources of the Congo Basin; 2) fight illegal logging and poaching, while supporting good governance in the forest and wildlife sector and 3) improve the livelihoods of the region’s 100 million inhabitants.

A key reason why the U.S. government selected the Congo Basin for a major new U.S. international forestry initiative was that that six Central African Governments themselves-- Cameroon, Central African Republic, Democratic Republic of Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon and the Republic of Congo -- had already devised a forest conservation plan of their own called Plan de Convergence.  In addition, they had created COMIFAC (la Commission des Forets de L’Afrique Centrale), a regional body through which they could work together to implement their Plan du Convergence.  I salute the regional initiative, and in particular the key role played by President Biya in initiating the 1999 “Yaounde Declaration” that made all this possible.

The Congo Basin Forest Partnership was conceived of as a way in which donors, African governments, nongovernmental organizations, international organizations and the private sector could work together to promote economic development, alleviate poverty, combat illegal logging, enforce anti-poaching laws, improve local government and conserve natural resources.  I salute the excellent collaborations between African, European, and American partners that have made the CBFP a model for such undertakings.

In Cameroon, the Congo Basin Forest Partnership, has boosted law enforcement capacity and increased prosecutions for illegal logging and the trafficking of ivory and endangered wildlife; and produced cross-border cooperation along the Sangha River, leading to steady increases in tourist revenues and a protocol for sharing proceeds among local communities;

Others who will soon speak will discuss this and other CARPE activities in greater detail, so I’d like to focus on what I see as Cameroon’s greatest opportunities and challenges in the areas of forestry and wildlife management.  While most of you are experts, allow me to speak as a layman -- a layman who has been involved and interested in these issues since I first came to Africa in 1977 and saw up close the work of Dian Fossey in saving the mountain gorilla in Rwanda’s Virunga Mountains.

In my two and a half years in Cameroon I have travelled throughout the country, visiting every province, most of them several times.  Pro-environment and pro-nature to begin with, I’ve made a point to include as many forests, nature preserves and wildlife sanctuaries in my travels as possible.   So far I have been to the following reserves:  Waza, Benoue, Bouba Ndjida, Campo-Ma’an, Boumba-Bek, Nki, Lobeke, and the Dja. 

What I have seen has both encouraged and distressed me. 

I say encouraged, because Cameroon is endowed with incredible natural resources that --if properly managed -- can be enjoyed for generations to come.  At the same time, these resources can provide sustainable revenue to local populations who earn their living from the land, and to the country at large through tourism and the timber industry.

The key of course, is rational, sustainable use, which I will expand on in a moment.

I’ve been distressed, however, to see how much more needs to be done to protect these resources.  In particular, I’ve been stunned to observe the rapid decline of wildlife in Cameroon’s protected areas.  Whether victims of poaching, bush meat hunters, or forced to move on because of loss of habitat, Cameroon’s previous wealth in fauna is literally disappearing before our eyes. 

I am one of many who have cited eco-tourism as a great potential for Cameroon.  Other countries in Africa are earning substantial revenue from foreign tourists who come to climb their mountains, observe the natural beauty of dense forests and grasslands, and enjoy viewing majestic animals that exist few places on earth.  Regrettably, in addition to needing to make urgent improvements to its transportation and service infrastructure, Cameroon must secure its ecological heritage.  At the current rate of animal population decline, by the time Cameroon is prepared to support eco-tourists, my fear is that there may be little left for them to see.

On the positive side, the Government of Cameroon is well aware of these needs and challenges and has taken some important steps to preserve its rich natural heritage of which it can be justifiably proud. 

Cameroon has distinguished itself in its designation of protected spaces.  Some 16.5% of Cameroonian territory has already been designated for protection -- significantly more than the 12 % recommended by the United Nations -- and there are plans to increase this to 30%.  Setting aside land for preservation is essential for sustainable resource management and for protecting wildlife habitat. 

The Dja and Lobeke forests are two good examples of this pro-active move to protect land, as is the Korup park, which I will visit with the Minister of Forestry and Wildlife in a couple of weeks. 

Despite these important and promising actions, however, not all of the news is good.

Designating protected lands is only part of the task.  Successful and sustainable resource management must include comprehensive measures to ensure that local populations, especially those residing in or adjacent to protected lands, have a real stake in conservation.  There are a number of ways this can be achieved, depending on the site or the population’s particular needs.

Personally, I think it can be very useful to allow villagers to remain inside areas that have been designated as “protected.”  If their own needs are adequately met, these people will serve as a natural front-line defense against misuse of forest resources.  After all, who has a greater stake in sustainable forest management than the people who live there?

To get this buy-in, however, it is imperative to ensure that “protection” does not run counter to the legitimate needs of indigenous populations.  When I visited the Dja last year, discouraged inhabitants noted that where they used to be hunters, they now were called “poachers.”  The plan that declared the Dja “protected” failed to fully consider the legitimate needs of the people closest to the land.

It should not be difficult to expand the circle of those we consider to be partners in conservation; the challenge, however, is to balance today’s needs with tomorrow’s returns.

It is unrealistic to expect that a man who needs to feed his family will refrain from hunting in the forest in hopes that protecting wildlife today will bring eco-tourists and revenue to Cameroon five years from now.  That’s not to say that today’s needs and tomorrow’s are incompatible, but they have to be managed.

I also happen to think that it is unrealistic to believe that we can relocate people and move them out of protected areas they have long called home.  There is simply too much connecting people with their native villages and even if moved, many will find a way back. 

Moreover, habits and traditions are difficult to change.  Someone who has lived his life in the forest and is accustomed to hunting for food is very unlikely to be successful living and working in town.  Rather than relying on completely changing habits, environmental management and conservation programs should focus on modifying habits; let me offer a couple of examples.

In the Korup, Dja and Lobeke parks, for example, efforts to limit subsistence hunting by indigenous people could be enhanced by offering alternative sources of protein, such as raising cane rats or fish in ponds.  To the extent that forest inhabitants might be helping outsiders hunt for trophy animals in these areas, this can be countered by devising development plans that give locals a share in tourist revenue.  Countering illegal logging can work in the same way; local villagers who share in legitimate timber revenues will be willing partners in the effort to prevent timber poaching.

That said, focusing on poaching by villagers mostly misses a larger, more serious problem:  industrial-quantity poaching by people with resources, vehicles, sophisticated understanding of markets, who engage in sales in major cities and across borders of illegally-gotten meat and trophies, both in the region and around the world.  These are the people who must be stopped.   And doing so will require us to face up to major issues like institutional corruption.

Let me speak now about a place I have visited many times in the North Province, The Elephant Camp, which lies on the northern edge of the Parc National de le Benoue.  In villages that border Elephant Camp, the director of Elephant Camp has worked with local farmers to modify what they plant for commercial purposes with two aims: to cultivate crops whose harvest time does not coincide with the elephants’ main migration periods, and to cultivate crops -- like onions -- that largely remain below ground, so that damage by migrating elephants is minimized.

It seems like a simple and obvious solution, and the results have been tremendous.  Changing crops did two things to fundamentally transform the reality on the ground.  First of all, as the elephants no longer pose a real danger to farmers’ livelihoods, they are no longer hostile toward the elephants.  Secondly, the interests of the farmers and of Elephant Camp are now aligned, as both have a vested interest in seeing elephants and Elephant Camp thrive.  Visitors to Elephant Camp – which receives more annual eco-tourists than all the national parks in the North province combined -- will bring jobs and other revenue for the area, something that is good for the nearby villages.  Including the local population in this wildlife management program illustrates how today’s and tomorrow’s needs can be met together.

Local buy-in is the key, but it can only be achieved when the legitimate and sometimes competing needs of multiple stakeholders are adequately met.

Positive moves are important but unfortunately are only part of the solution.  There has to be a credible effective deterrent for those determined or desperate enough to break the law.  The Eco-guard program is one such tool, but it must be dramatically expanded to be able to effectively cover Cameroon’s extensive territory.  Eco-guards need training, equipment and reasonable compensation.  Deficiencies in these areas undermine effectiveness and, just as damaging, motivation. 

I also recommend that the Government look at the use and distribution of revenues from hunting, which could be plowed back to help protect the activities which generated them, -- rather than returned to the national treasury for other uses.  In the North province, these revenues represent a leading source of government income; there should be a stronger effort to protect the “cash cow” that generated them.

Happily, there are many things we can do to promote conservation and environmental protection that do not involve great expense.  Awareness-raising is an important, effective and relatively cost effective tool.  CARPE and others have lots of information for public use and display.  Conservation and wildlife protection is absolutely something that should be discussed in schools.  Instilling good environmental values in our young people is one of the best ways to ensure the future of our collective natural heritage.

Public service announcements on national radio and television are a great way to reach a wide audience.  Posters in public areas to educate people about bush meat and other environmental threats -- such as we have in our own consular waiting area -- are very helpful.  I challenge all of you with public spaces in your offices, embassies and ministries to see how you can use these public areas to raise awareness about conservation and environmental protection.

Public-private partnerships are another way to expand the partnership in conservation and to discourage bad behavior.  In this context I want to salute the Ministry of Forestry and Wildlife’s recent accord with CAMRAIL whereby CAMRAIL has agreed not to transport any poached products.  This is a great example of depriving criminals of the tools they need to carry out their activities.

While I’ve talked primarily about protecting fauna, I want to touch briefly on logging and the timber industry to underscore the importance of ensuring that this business is properly controlled and conforms to all international standards.

Illegal logging is growing at an alarming rate and the international community is responding with measures to sanction countries whose controls are inadequate to ensure conformity with internationally-agreed norms.  Timber can be poached just as animals can and the effects are equally devastating, both in the short and long term.  It is in Cameroon’s very great interest to ensure its timber industry is clean and fully compliant.  Cameroon has amazing, beautiful wood.  Any trip to a local artisinat shows this.  Cameroon’s wood should be sought after in international markets, not only for its quality and beauty, but also because buyers know that it is being harvested in a sustainable way.  This is something that is increasingly important to buyers, not only because of the legal ramifications but also because more and more end-users want to know that their desire for consumer products is not putting undue pressure on the earth’s finite natural resources.

While pushing for sustainable logging practices and certification in Cameroon, one must also ensure that there is not a regional “race to the bottom” that penalizes reforming countries like Cameroon.  Other nations must also be induced to follow suit, to avoid attracting unscrupulous operators investing only where the norms are kept low. 

I know the Government of Cameroon is working closely with international partners to ensure the complete legitimacy of its logging industry.  We fully support these efforts and stand ready to offer all appropriate assistance.  As we work together this week in this important workshop, I suggest we keep our aims and ambitions high and search for ever-better solutions to the challenges we are facing together.    

Thank You.