Government to act against plant pirates

GOVERNMENT will set up a special committee to combat unlawful exploitation and trade of biological products, which include plants like hoodia, devil’s claw and marula nuts.

Namibia needs to guard against unlawful exploitation and bio-piracy, but has no such policies and laws in place, Cabinet noted during its latest meeting. The Ministry of Environment and Tourism is drafting a law on Access to Biological Resources and Associated Traditional Knowledge, which Cabinet expects to be finalised before the end of this year.Trading in these products, which often means exploitation for financial gain without including indigenous people, who have centuries-old knowledge of the use of such plants, requires regulation to avoid exploitation, Cabinet noted.Bio-prospecting contracts lay down the rules of benefit sharing between researchers and countries, and can bring royalties to less developed countries.The fairness of these contracts has been a subject of debate.”Until such a law is in place, there is a need for an Interim Bio-prospecting Committee to co-ordinate Government’s approach on bio-trade and bio-prospecting according to terms of reference still to be proposed,” the latest Cabinet briefing paper said.”Cabinet gave approval for the establishment of an Interim Bio-Prospecting Committee, composed of the Ministries of Agriculture, Water and Forestry, Education, Environment, Fisheries, Trade, Safety and Security and the Office of the Attorney General.”Cabinet also gave approval that the Committee may co-opt representatives from other institutions if and when required.Cabinet also instructed the Ministry of Trade and Industry to publish a notice in the Government Gazette listing regulated products of genetic resources and their derivatives whose export is to be controlled.Namibia has a large genetic diversity in plants and animals that has potential for commercial development.Bio-trade has the potential to generate significant economic benefits to Namibia if properly controlled.Cabinet noted that “in the absence of a regulatory framework, Namibia stands to lose millions of dollars in potential revenues from renewable plant, animal, fungal and microbial resources, if these are exploited by international pharmaceutical, medicinal and agro-chemical interests without sound benefit-sharing arrangements.”In the absence of a policy regulating access to and protection of genetic resources and associated traditional knowledge in Namibia, there is a need to establish an interim mechanism to prevent that opportunities for the development of genetic resources into potential sources of income are not missed.The Ministry of Environment and Tourism is drafting a law on Access to Biological Resources and Associated Traditional Knowledge, which Cabinet expects to be finalised before the end of this year.Trading in these products, which often means exploitation for financial gain without including indigenous people, who have centuries-old knowledge of the use of such plants, requires regulation to avoid exploitation, Cabinet noted.Bio-prospecting contracts lay down the rules of benefit sharing between researchers and countries, and can bring royalties to less developed countries.The fairness of these contracts has been a subject of debate.”Until such a law is in place, there is a need for an Interim Bio-prospecting Committee to co-ordinate Government’s approach on bio-trade and bio-prospecting according to terms of reference still to be proposed,” the latest Cabinet briefing paper said.”Cabinet gave approval for the establishment of an Interim Bio-Prospecting Committee, composed of the Ministries of Agriculture, Water and Forestry, Education, Environment, Fisheries, Trade, Safety and Security and the Office of the Attorney General.”Cabinet also gave approval that the Committee may co-opt representatives from other institutions if and when required.Cabinet also instructed the Ministry of Trade and Industry to publish a notice in the Government Gazette listing regulated products of genetic resources and their derivatives whose export is to be controlled.Namibia has a large genetic diversity in plants and animals that has potential for commercial development.Bio-trade has the potential to generate significant economic benefits to Namibia if properly controlled.Cabinet noted that “in the absence of a regulatory framework, Namibia stands to lose millions of dollars in potential revenues from renewable plant, animal, fungal and microbial resources, if these are exploited by international pharmaceutical, medicinal and agro-chemical interests without sound benefit-sharing arrangements.”In the absence of a policy regulating access to and protection of genetic resources and associated traditional knowledge in Namibia, there is a need to establish an interim mechanism to prevent that opportunities for the development of genetic resources into potential sources of income are not missed.