WINDHOEK, Sept. 28, (Xinhua/GNA) – Namibia recorded its lowest level of rhino poaching in more than a decade in 2025, but wildlife and environmental crimes remain a threat, Environment, Forestry and Tourism Minister Indileni Daniel said Monday.
Daniel said 43 rhinos were poached in 2025, down from 91 in 2024. However, 24 rhinos have been poached so far in 2026, showing that the threat remains active.
Speaking at the Third National Stakeholder Forum on Wildlife and Environmental Protection in Windhoek, Daniel said criminal syndicates were adapting rapidly to law enforcement measures and increasingly operating across borders.
She called for stronger international and cross-border cooperation, to disrupt wildlife trafficking networks and reduce global demand for illegally traded wildlife and natural resources.
Daniel also highlighted a recent surge in illegal plant trafficking, which she described as a growing and lucrative criminal enterprise, and called for stronger measures to combat corruption linked to environmental crimes.
She said Namibia had strengthened legislation and penalties, and established specialized bodies, including the Wildlife Protection Services Division and the Environmental Crime Unit within the Office of the Prosecutor General.
The minister said the Ministry of Justice and Labor Relations was advancing the Wildlife and Protected Areas Management Bill, which would further strengthen wildlife conservation and protection, once enacted.
Daniel added that wildlife and environmental crimes impose significant costs on the economy, tourism, local communities and conservation efforts, with hundreds of millions of dollars being spent by the government, private sector and international partners to combat the crimes.
She urged stakeholders to translate their discussions into concrete action, to protect Namibia’s natural resources for future generations.
GNA