119 tons of ivory about to be auctioned?
Significant amounts of ivory in these stocks up for export, from Botswana, Namibia, South Africa and Zimbabwe, has been collected through culling as well as natural deaths.
It is believed that the CITES Secretariat has given its endorsement of the sales as well as its support of China being accepted as an importer for these stocks. However, the final verdict rests in the hands of the full SC.
Japan approved
Japan is the sole country yet approved by CITES as a trading partner for these ivory stocks while China is up for consideration at CITES SC57 next month. "China is the single largest destination for illegal ivory and to accept them as an importer for these legal stocks will only sustain the rampant poaching that African nations are faced with today," says Michael Wamithi, Director of the global Elephants Program at International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW - www.ifaw.org), and former Director of Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS).
Should we allow the ivory trade to flourish?
Given that the one indisputable rule of economics is that of Supply & Demand, Wildlife Extra wonders if releasing 119 tons of ivory onto the world's leading markets might have the effect of reducing the price, and thus the benefit of poaching to the criminal gangs that organise the butchering of the world's elephants.
If there is a steady, carefully controlled, legal supply of ivory from countries in southern Africa might that not reduce the demand for poached ivory? In the past many thousands of elephants were kileld for their ivory even though there was a legal market, but even now 20,000 elephants a year are killed illegally. If a legal supply was available to the markets of the Far East, and strict controls on the trade of ivry worldwide, things could not get much worse than the current dannual death toll of 20,000, and may just get a lot better.
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"We hope that the Standing Committee puts the brakes on these sales which will undoubtedly prompt even further slaughter of this highly intelligent keystone species," continues Wamithi, who is speaking to the likelihood of poachers attempting to launder their illegal stocks into Asia's already burgeoning markets.
20,000 elephants killed every year by poachers
"Furthermore, each day rangers are putting their lives on the line to defend elephants and other wildlife. Poor African nations do not have the resources to endure the level of ivory poaching being experienced today. There are an estimated 20,000 elephants slaughtered each year for their tusks. And, the bloodshed extends to human lives as well. There are countless rangers continuously killed in the line of duty. How many lives must be lost to realize the gruesome reality and reach of the elephant ivory trade?"
In 1989, CITES Parties listed the African elephant on Appendix I, effectively prohibiting all international trade in elephants and their derivatives, including ivory, but in 1997 this was resanctioned and certain populations were down-listed to Appendix II, allowing trade with special permissions from CITES.
One year ago, a nine-year suspension on elephant ivory trade was approved at the 14th meeting of the CITES Conference of the Parties, coming into affect after the stockpiles sales are completed.
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