Environmental conservation organisation, EMS Foundation, wants the government to permanently ban the trade of lion bones in South Africa.
The foundation’s director, Michele Pickover, says their study shows that the lion bone sale is linked to the Asian big cat market operated by syndicates without permits.
The foundation will be a friend of the court to oppose the application by the South African Predators Association (SAPA) to force the Environmental Department to allow them a quota to trade in lion bones.
SAPA has approached the High Court in Pretoria to force the Environmental Department to set a quota to re-open the lion bone sale for this year.
Pickover says government should not have allowed the sale of lion bones in the first place.
“We did a very extensive investigative report on the South African lion bone trade; what it showed you is that while the sale from our side is legal and people have permits, but on the other side, where they are going in Southeast Asia, it is all going to a criminal network because it is all linked to the tiger bone industry, which is banned, and it is not benefiting our tourism.”
