South Africa's government to allow a domestic trade and limited export of rhino horns

News from The Associated Press:
"JOHANNESBURG (AP) -- South Africa's government is moving ahead with plans to allow a domestic trade and limited export of rhino horns, alarming many international conservationists who believe rhinos will be more vulnerable to poachers after a record slaughter in the past decade.
Draft regulations would allow a foreigner with permits to export "for personal purposes" a maximum of two rhino horns.
Critics argue that any exported horns would be hard to monitor and likely would end up on the commercial market, defying global agreements to protect threatened rhino populations.
...But Allison Thomson, a South African campaigner against legalization, said putting rhino horns on the market would increase demand and that South Africa is sending "conflicting messages" about how to deal with poaching, jeopardizing its lucrative wildlife tourism.
"The risk we run at the moment is that if we open up trade and poaching escalates we will have no rhinos in the wild. We will only have rhinos on farms, being farmed like cows," Thomson said..."