Historic Ban on Donkey Skin Trade: An African Union Resolution

1: The Historic Ban on Donkey Skin Trade

- During the 37th African Union Summit, 2024 held in Ethiopia, African heads of state unanimously agreed to ban the trade of donkey skin, thus ending the slaughter of donkeys for their hides all over the continent.

- It is a monumental decision ensuing from the Dar es Salaam declaration, which was adopted at the first African Union-Interafrican Bureau for Animal Resource (AU-IBAR) Pan-African Donkey Conference in December 2022.

2: The Dar es Salaam Declaration and its Influence

- The Dar es Salaam declaration was signed in Tanzania during the Pan African Donkey Skin Conference, organised by AU-IBAR. It emphasises the severe implications of donkey skin trade on African communities and animals.

- The declaration highlights the rapid depletion of Africa's donkey population and calls for more investments in policies, research, and legislation to protect the species.

- It also pushed for a resolution to halt the commercial slaughter of donkeys for their skins for 15 years, and further aimed to design a strategy to address exploitation, productivity, and production of donkeys.

3: Understanding the Donkey Skin Trade

- The donkey skin trade involves rampant unkind practices, where donkeys are brutally killed for their skins and exported to China. This trade is lawful in some countries and outlawed in others.

- The collagen extracted from donkey skins is used in ejiao, a traditional Chinese medicine, and subsequently used in beauty products, food, and drinks.

4: The Negative Effects of Donkey Skin Trade

- The ruthless treatment of donkeys in the skin trade has caused intense suffering and decimation in their population over the past decade.

- The donkey skin trade also threatens the UN's sustainable development goals, including eradicating poverty. Millions of people depend on donkeys as the sole carrier to escape severe poverty.

- The trade impacts women and children's economic and educational opportunities, depriving them of these useful animals for tasks such as fetching water and as draught animals.

5: Indian Wild Ass: Relevance and Conservation Status

- The Indian Wild Ass is a subspecies of the Asian Wild Ass and is unique due to its distinctive white markings on the rump and shoulder with a stripe down the back outlined in white.

- The last population of Indian Wild Ass is found in the Rann of Kachchh, Gujarat in a desert and grassland ecosystem.

- Conservation Status of Indian Wild Ass is 'Near threatened' as per IUCN, included in Appendix II by CITES, and placed under Schedule-I as per Wildlife Protection Act (1972).

This African Union Resolution serves as an important marker in the conservation efforts of donkey populations, both domestically and globally. While it puts a critical light on international animal trade practices, it also opens up essential discussions on safeguarding animal rights and their role in sustainable development.