[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 10 (Wednesday, February 11, 1998)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E153]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




            CHINA IS AWARE OF THE NEED TO CONSERVE WILDLIFE

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. DANA ROHRABACHER

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, February 11, 1998

  Mr. ROHRABACHER. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to report that since the 
introduction of the American Champion ``Super Scout'' spotter aircraft 
in antipoaching operations in Kruger National Park, South Africa, in 
September, 1996 by the non-profit United States-based Wilderness 
Conservancy, not one rhinoceros or elephant has been killed by poachers 
there. That is a success story that was made possible by a grant to the 
Wilderness Conservancy from the Forestry Department of the government 
of the Republic of China on Taiwan.
  In the past, some conservation groups have criticized the Republic of 
China's government for what they believed was an insufficient effort to 
stop the illicit importation of ivory, rhino horn and other wild animal 
parts into Taiwan. In recent years, however, the ROC government has 
adopted ever-stronger laws to curb that illicit traffic, has strictly 
enforced them and has imposed stiff penalties on violators.
  Beliefs in folk medicine techniques that employed wild animal parts 
took root over many centuries, and it has not been an easy task for the 
ROC government to change those beliefs (held especially by older 
persons). Nevertheless, the ROC has undertaken a concerted effort to 
end the illicit trade in animal parts in light of both human population 
growth and the drastic reduction of the wildlife populations upon which 
the traditional remedies were based. Today, the government of the 
Republic of China is engaged in a comprehensive environmental education 
program in its schools to make all of its young people aware of the 
need to conserve wildlife.
  The ROC has done more. They have made an additional grant to the 
Wilderness Conservancy for the purchase of another aircraft, a 
refurbished Cessna 206. It will undertake a multi-purpose role in 
southern Africa this year. It will support the spotter aircraft by 
flying anti-poaching teams to airstrips ahead of fleeing poachers, in 
order to intercept them before they can reach safe havens. The new 
aircraft also will resupply game-scout teams deep in the bush, thus 
permitting longer patrols over larger areas. It will carry scientists 
of the Wildlife Breeding Research Center and their portable cryogenic 
laboratory into the field to facilitate Assisted Reproduction 
Technology (embryo transfer and in-vitro fertilization) and the 
creation of a Genome Resource Bank (the collection, processing, storage 
and use of gametes and other biological material from rare and 
endangered wildlife species). Finally, the aircraft will fill a 
humanitarian role by transporting volunteer doctors, dentists and 
nurses to remote villages to administer to those in need.
  In addition to the Republic of China's grant to purchase the 
aircraft, the Wilderness Conservancy has received a grant from the U.S. 
Fish and Wildlife Service, under the African Elephant Conservation Act 
of 1988, to provide hand-held aircraft radios, hand-held Garmin GPS 
units and portable repeater stations to assist the anti-poaching 
effort. These will be in place this year and will make radio 
communication between pilots and ground teams possible, greatly 
enhancing the poacher-interception effort.
  Saving the rhinoceros and elephant from extinction is dangerous work 
and requires great dedication by those who do it. These generous grants 
from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Republic of China will 
help greatly toward the goal of ending the poaching of large wild 
animals. In the process, there is a unique four-way cooperative effort 
between the people of Taiwan, a conservation-minded American 
organization (with expert knowledge of aviation and anti-poaching), the 
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the men and women on the anti-
poaching front lines in South Africa.

                          ____________________