London Convention of 1933
The London Convention of 1933, formally known as the Convention Relative to the Preservation of Fauna and Flora in Their Natural State, was an early international agreement focused on conservation policies for Africa's wildlife. Opened for signature on December 8, 1933, it was established amid growing concerns about the decline of animal populations due to overhunting and habitat loss, particularly in the context of colonial governance. The convention aimed to create national parks and reserves that would promote both wildlife conservation and public enjoyment, while also allowing for scientific study. Signatory nations included South Africa, Belgium, the United Kingdom, and several others with colonial interests in Africa.
While the treaty provided protections for specific species and outlined regulations for hunting, it did so primarily with the interests of European hunters in mind, often disregarding the perspectives and rights of local African populations. The discussions leading to the convention did not incorporate the voices of black Africans, reflecting a colonial mindset that prioritized hunting opportunities for white settlers. The resulting provisions not only restricted local access to traditional lands but also highlighted a selective approach to conservation based on perceived utility to colonizers. The convention ultimately marked a significant moment in the history of international wildlife conservation, yet it also underscored the complexities and ethical considerations surrounding colonialism and environmental stewardship.
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London Convention of 1933
THE CONVENTION: International agreement that established preservation policies for European colonies in Africa
DATE: Opened for signature on December 8, 1933
The Convention Relative to the Preservation of Fauna and Flora in Their Natural State was among the first international agreements concerned with issues of conservation, although the signatory nations were concerned primarily with protecting animals from extinction so that they would remain available for game hunting.
In 1900 the European nations that had recently divided sub-Saharan Africa among themselves and established colonial governments there signed the first international conservation treaty, the Convention for the Preservation of Animals, Birds, and Fish in Africa. The men who drafted this document did not recognize any inherent value in living creatures—they were not protecting animals because they felt animals had a right to live. The intention of the treaty was to preserve the populations of animals that were popular trophies for hunters, such as elephants and giraffes, and encourage the eradication of animals harmful to agriculture, including lions, leopards, and wild dogs.
In 1930 a surveying expedition sponsored by the British Society for the Protection of the Fauna of the Empire made it clear that the 1900 treaty was ineffective from a conservation standpoint. Elephants and other animals were still being overhunted, and several animal and plant species were drawing closer to extinction. It was proposed that an expanded system of national parks be established in East and Central Africa to protect species without substantially limiting human activity. The national parks would be under the control of the colonial governments. The public would be encouraged to visit the national parks to observe the plants and animals, but no “hunting, killing, or capturing” would be permitted within park boundaries.
Several nations that held substantial amounts of land in Africa met in London in 1933 to discuss these issues. The resulting Convention Relative to the Preservation of Fauna and Flora in Their Natural State was signed by South Africa, Belgium, the United Kingdom, Egypt, Spain, France, Italy, Portugal, and the Sudan. It established national parks for public enjoyment and “strict natural reserves” for the exclusive use of scientists. One plant species and twenty animals—including gorillas, white rhinoceroses, and shoebill storks—were fully protected by the treaty, which entered into force on January 14, 1936. New rules for hunters outside the parks forbade the use of cars and aircraft to chase or herd animals and also prohibited poison and traps.
However, neither the treaty nor the discussions leading up to it considered the role black Africans might play in preserving or endangering the fauna and flora. The treaty was made by Europeans to ensure that White people would have enough animals to hunt. Much of the land newly dedicated to national parks had been home to Africans who were now forbidden to hunt, farm, or live on that land. Animals were protected or not protected according to their usefulness for or danger to White hunters and settlers, without consideration of which animals provided food or presented a danger to native villagers.
Bibliography
"Convention Relative to the Preservation of Fauna and Flora in their Natural State." University of Oslo, www.jus.uio.no/english/services/library/treaties/06/6-02/preservation-fauna-natural.html. Accessed 15 July 2024.
Louka, Elli. International Environmental Law: Fairness, Effectiveness, and World Order. New York : Cambridge University Press, 2006.
Matusse, Anselmo. "Laws, Parks, Reserves, and Local Peoples: A Brief Historical Analysis of Conservation Legislation in Mozambique." Conservation and Society, 2019, www.environmentandsociety.org/sites/default/files/key‗docs/conservatsoc17115-1937232‗052252.pdf. Accessed 15 July 2024.
Suich, Helen, and Brian Child, with Anna Spenceley, eds. Evolution and Innovation in Wildlife Conservation: Parks and Game Ranches to Transfrontier Conservation Areas. Sterling, Va.: Earthscan, 2009.