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Experts drawn from various African animal welfare groups will vouch for firmer penalties and regulations in an effort to eliminate the illegal sale of donkey skins believed to be thriving in online marketplaces despite existing bans across the continent.

That was the message according to the Chief Executive Officer of Brooke Action for Working Horses and Donkeys – Global, Dr. Raphael Kinoti ahead of the Pan African Donkey Conference (PADCo) 2022 slated for Thursday and Friday this week in Arusha, Tanzania.

“We are going to send the message loud and clear in Arusha. Stiffer penalties are some of the proposals stakeholders will be making at the conference among other regulatory concerns,” offered Dr. Kinoti at a press conference in Nairobi, Monday.

It comes amid concerns that, despite the ban on illegal trade, committers were still cashing in on donkey skins with the trafficking feeding a rising demand for ejiao, a traditional Chinese remedy that uses donkey skins to produce a form of gelatine.

Despite only 20 countries having deals to legally trade donkey skins with China, skins arrive there from more than 50 countries, but a growing number of African nations including Kenya, Nigeria, Burkina Faso, Senegal, and Ghana have forbidden the trade.

About 4.8 million animals are killed each year largely driven by Chinese demand for traditional medicine.

The conference – a continental flagship on donkey 21ST and donkey skin trade, is a platform for informed policy dialogues, mainstreaming the donkey in development-sensitization and bringing the whole of Africa together in one voice with a consolidated position on donkey skin trade (DST).

The Conference is convened by AU-IBAR in partnership with the Regional Economic Communities in Africa [IGAD, EAC, ECCAS, ECOWAS & SADC], and with support from WOAH, ILRI, KARLO and the Animal Welfare Organizations involved in Donkey and Equine welfare in Africa. The Brooke Hospital for Animals is the Secretariat to the PADco.

It comes on the back of an unending debate on whether or not enhanced laws and penalties should be put in place to address the challenge.

Currently, according to the Prevention of cruelty to animals (transport of animals) regulations of Kenya, a person who is guilty of an offense under these Regulations shall be liable to a fine not exceeding three thousand shillings or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding six months, or to both.

These fines are believed to be lenient thereby encouraging the vice.