The illegal harvesting of Namibia's endangered lithops and other protected succulent plants has emerged as a growing conservation concern.
Environment minister Indileni Daniel said that authorities have recorded 40 plant-poaching cases over the past five years as international demand for rare species continues to fuel cross-border trafficking.
The figures were revealed in Parliament, where Daniel outlined the government's response to the growing threat posed by organised plant-poaching syndicates targeting Namibia's unique flora.
According to the minister, recorded cases increased sharply from two in 2021 to 12 in 2022 before peaking at 17 in 2023.
The number of cases declined to seven in 2024 and just two in 2025, a trend she attributed to strengthened law enforcement and greater cooperation between government agencies.
Daniel said Namibia's rich diversity of endemic succulent plants has made the country an attractive target for international traffickers.
"Lithops are succulent plants endemic to Namibia and are one of the groups of interest for illegal plant-poaching syndicates," she said.
She warned that while Namibia welcomes visitors who appreciate its unique plant life in their natural habitat, the growing involvement of organised criminal networks is deeply concerning.
"Most of our unique succulents occur in remote areas and are vulnerable to cross-border smuggling and difficult to patrol," Daniel said.
She noted that plant poaching was once limited to isolated incidents but has escalated significantly since 2021 due to increasing global online trade in rare succulents sought after for ornamental collections.
To combat the problem, the ministry established the inter-agency Protected Plants Task Team (PPTT) in 2023.
Daniel said that the task team brings together officials from the ministry's Directorate of Forestry, the National Botanical Research Institute, the Intelligence Investigation Unit within the Directorate of Wildlife and National Parks, the Namibian Police's Protected Resources Division and the Namibia Revenue Agency.
It also receives technical support from several international conservation and law-enforcement partners, including the United States Forest Service International Program, the Rooikat Trust's Blue Rhino Task Team, the Namibia Nature Foundation, the US Department of State's Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs, and the US Fish and Wildlife Service.
She said awareness campaigns and specialised training have been rolled out since 2023 for officials stationed at ports of entry and for law enforcement officers across the country. Refresher training was conducted in 2025 to strengthen the identification and interception of protected plants and plant material.
Additional training has also been provided to officials from the Directorate of Forestry, while awareness material has been distributed at all border posts.
"Since the establishment of the Protected Plants Task Team, enforcement and interceptions have improved," Daniel said.
However, she acknowledged that limited resources continue to hamper efforts to respond effectively to plant-poaching incidents.
She stressed that greater public awareness is needed, particularly among landowners and local communities, to ensure suspicious activities are reported to authorities.
Daniel also highlighted opportunities for communities to benefit legally from indigenous plant resources.
She said individuals or communities can apply to establish indigenous plant nurseries through the ministry, allowing them to cultivate, propagate, and commercially utilise protected species such as lithops, provided they meet the required conditions.
Currently, lithops are protected under the Nature Conservation Ordinance No. 4 of 1975. Daniel said the legislation requires amendment to create an explicit regulatory framework that would allow for the sustainable utilisation and harvesting of protected flora by local communities, similar to existing provisions for huntable wildlife.
Beyond enforcement, the ministry continues to work with national and international conservation partners to strengthen the long-term protection of Namibia's unique plant heritage.
