Kenya, Thailand sign wildlife deal amid stormy row over animal exports

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http://news./s/afp/20051109/wl_asia_afp/kenyathailandtrade_051109183051

 

09 NOV 2005

 

Kenya, Thailand sign wildlife deal amid stormy row

over animal exports

 

NAIROBI (AFP) - Kenya and Thailand signed an agreement

to enhance cooperation in the management of wildlife

amid a row over a decision by Kenya to send hundreds

of wild animals to a zoo in the Asian nation.

 

Kenyan Tourism and Wildlife Minister Morris Dzoro and

Thai Natural Resources and Environment Minister

Yongyut Tiyapairat signed a deal pledging " cooperation

in the field of park and wildlife management " at a

closed-door ceremony in Nairobi, according to a joint

statement.

 

The agreement was signed in the presence of Kenyan

President Mwai Kibaki and Thai Prime Minister Thaksin

Shinawatra, who arrived here Tuesday for a three-day

visit aimed at boosting trade, which was clouded by

the wildlife export saga.

 

The deal, the details of which were not released, came

as enraged conservationists renewed a call for Kenya

to halt plans to send some 300 animals, including

endangered species, to the soon-to-be-opened Mae Hia

Safari Park in Thailand's northern Chiang Mai

province.

 

In return for the animals, Kenya would receive expert

elephant trainers and one million dollars (8.5 million

euros) to boost conservation in the country.

 

The International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) led

the charge of conservation agencies against the

arrangement, which may have cemented the deal to

export wildlife.

 

" (Wildlife) is our national heritage and our views, as

conservationists, about such a deal have not been

sought, " IFAW's Elizabeth Wamba told AFP.

 

IFAW also expressed concerns over the secrecy of the

arrangement and would like to know what species are

being exported and how many of each will be sent to

Thailand.

 

" Our concern is the animal welfare aspect of this move

(export) and in this case, the mortality of the

wildlife during the capture, the transit and at the

destination in Thailand, " Wamba said.

 

But Kenya Wildlife Service spokeswoman Connie Maina

said she was not informed of the agreement.

 

Kibaki and Thaksin said they were committed to

strengthening their relationship by expanding " the

scope of their bilateral trade and cooperation in

order to increase the volume and value of bilateral

trade, " the statement said.

 

The two officials called for a boost to investments by

revitalising a 1993 Trade Agreement as well as asking

officials to expedite the implementation of the

Promotion and Protection of Investment and Avoidance

of Double Taxation agreements.

 

Kibaki invited Thai traders to start manufacturing

cheap computers in the east African nation to even out

a trade balance that is currently in favour of

Bankgok.

 

In addition, the two nations signed a deal to

establish a joint commission on bilateral cooperation,

which will address both the deadly HIV/AIDS virus and

the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals.

 

Thaksin is scheduled to leave Kenya on Thursday for

Ankara, Turkey.