2007 Archives
Earth Day Remarks
As delivered on behalf of
Deputy Chief of Mission Richard W. Nelson
by Political-Economic Officer Michael Roth
Community Hall, Douala-Edea Reserve
Monday, April 23, 2007
Excellency, the Minister of Forests and Wildlife,
[Community Representatives]
Honored guests and friends of the environment,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
I am delighted to be here today with Gordon N. Ajonina and other members of the Cameroon Wildlife Conservation Society (CWCS), to mark Earth Day. Mr. Ajonina and his colleagues have been our hosts today on a marvelous journey of exploration and discovery of some of Cameroon’s most remarkable natural resources. The Douala-Edea wildlife reserve is one of the largest and biologically richest nature reserves in Cameroon, with treasures that include extensive mangrove forests and unique wildlife, such as the forest elephant, the chimpanzee, and the manatee.
And today we also saw the thriving community that has grown up in this area, depending on those resources for their livelihood. These two facets of the reserve constitute the very essence of sustainable development: the need to preserve environmental riches, but in a manner that provides for human needs and economic development.
Like other environmental treasures in Cameroon, the Douala-Edea reserve is threatened, and urgent measures are needed to remove external threats and to rehabilitate damaged areas. Wetland ecosystems are very important to the biophysical environment. Mangroves, such as the ones here, serve as a breeding reservoir for many animal species, including fish, birds and animals, and they protect fragile forest soils against erosion.
Unfortunately, wetlands areas like Douala-Edea are under enormous pressure from the local population, which harvests trees for fuel wood and often uses unconventional methods to fish. It is imperative to mitigate these pressures and, at the same time, find ways to meet the legitimate needs of the local community.
I know that Cameroonians, like Americans, value their natural resources. However, I am both encouraged and distressed at the state of the environment in Cameroon. 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 other activities such as the fishing and timber industries.
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, such as the manatee, in Cameroon’s protected areas.
In some areas, the West African manatee has become extinct. International conservation organizations and individual countries have included them among protected species. The West African manatee is also protected by the African Convention of Nature and Natural Resources. But despite all this protection, many manatees are killed each year. This is such a shame, because the manatee is a fantastic animal. Manatees are the source of mermaid legends. In the wild, manatees are gentle giants with no natural enemies that can live 50 to 60 years. Truly, their only enemy is man.
On the other hand, successful and sustainable resource management must ensure that local populations have a real stake in conservation. After all, who has a greater stake in sustainable forest management than the people who live there?
However, I cannot stress enough how important it is to educate the local population regarding the consequences of over-hunting and poor management of wildlife resources. People may resent protection of highly prized animals, but once they have been exterminated, they are gone forever. We cannot let that happen, or our children will suffer.
Habits and traditions are difficult to change. But it can be done through development plans that give locals a share in tourist revenue.
The Embassy has encouraged eco-tourism as a great potential for Cameroon. Other countries in Africa are earning substantial revenue from foreign tourists. Tourists in America will pay as much as $100 per day to “swim with the manatees” in Florida. Certainly, there is room for this kind of economic development in Cameroon. Regrettably, 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.
There is also 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.
It is not only wildlife that is threatened. Wetland ecosystems are very important to the biophysical environment. Our wetlands are the home of a wide variety of plants and animals. Freshwater ecosystems are in fact the most species-diverse habitats on earth. For instance, mangroves serve as a breeding reservoir for fish, birds and other animals. They protect fragile forest soils against erosion. But they are threatened by the harvesting of trees for fuel wood. Many of these practices take place out of ignorance to the damage they are causing, and we need to educate the people about the consequences of these wasteful practices.
Awareness-raising is an important and cost effective tool that does not involve great expense. Conservation and wildlife protection should be discussed in schools, and public service announcements on national radio and television and posters in public areas can educate people about bush meat and other environmental threats.
There must also be a credible, effective deterrent for those determined or desperate enough to break the law. I want to salute the Ministry of Forestry and Wildlife’s recent accord with CAMRAIL to prevent transport of poached products. This is a great example of depriving criminals of the tools they need to carry out their activities.
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.
I know the Government of Cameroon is working closely with international partners to protect wildlife. We fully support these efforts and stand ready to offer all appropriate assistance. As we work together, I suggest we keep our aims and ambitions high and search for ever-better solutions to the challenges we are facing together.
Thank you.