Ivory Trade

[Flutterby]

http://www.standardmedia.co.ke
Updated Sunday, June 10 2012
By Philip Mwakio

The International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) has blamed legal sale of ivory stockpiles in 2008 for increased elephant poaching in elephant range states.

In its most recent report, IFAW cited China as the biggest buyer of the ivory and blames the international convention that protects endangered species for permitting these sales.

“In a world of economic uncertainty, elephant ivory has become a new investment vehicle in China, which coincides with an extraordinary surge in the numbers of elephants being killed for their ivory,’’ IFAW has said.

“Elephant ivory has become a new currency in China,” said Grace Gabriel, Asia Regional Director for IFAW. IFAW says the Convention on the International Trade in Endangered Species (Cites) gave the go ahead for the legal sale of ivory stockpiles by four southern African countries to China and Japan.

Since 2009 when China took delivery of its purchase, the market for ivory in that country - legally traded or not - has spiralled.

Illegal seizures
Worldwide seizures of illegal ivory have matched the trend with the media reporting that 5,259 tusks (a whopping 23 tons) were confiscated in 2011 alone.

The Chinese regulatory system, introduced in 2004, and intended to strictly control the domestic ivory market in line with Cites requirements, has been rendered virtually impotent against the demand for ivory.

“Of the 158 ivory trade facilities visited by Chinese experts, 101 were operating illegally. Among licensed facilities the majority abused the ivory control system,” said Gabriel.

Experts say that legal ivory imports have provided opportunities for illegal ivory to be whitewashed in China; the insatiable demand for ivory as an investment has tripled the wholesale price of ivory; and currencies influx have created a lethal combination that is decimating wild elephant populations.

[Flutterby]

Surely the same thing will happen if the stockpiles of rhino horn are released for sale. Ei

[Mel]

Like giving them a taste of the sweets that they then don't want to forgo anymore.

[lowveldboy]

That exactly what the advocates againts legalizing the Rhino horn trade has said. Certain private owners (for instance John Hume) says its the only way, because they will make the money from China. That will fuel the demand, poaching will increase because the "farmers" cant keep up and in the end - Rhinos go extinct!!!!

[Flutterby]

Exactly lvb!!!!

[lowveldboy]

Legalizing the trade just says to the end users - your believes are correct!!!! Why else would it be legal to buy the stuff freely - because its not working, ja right they are going to believe the myths are true ....

[Flutterby]

It's about time our Government steps in and boycotts all governments who allow this stupid myth surrounding rhino horn to continue!!!

[Sprocky]

2012-06-19 18:25

Lyon - Interpol on Tuesday said its biggest international operation against ivory traffickers had led to more than 200 arrests and yielded nearly two tons of contraband ivory.

The three-month-long Operation Worthy, spread across 14 countries in east, south and west Africa, also led to the recovery of more than 20kg of rhinoceros horn, a statement said.

Leopard and cheetah pelts, crocodile and python skins and live specimens of other protected species were found. Firearms including AK-47s and M16 rifles were also recovered.

"This has been to date the most wide-ranging operation co-ordinated by Interpol against the illegal ivory trade, not just in terms of seizures and arrests, but also in targeting the criminal organisations," said David Higgins, manager of Interpol's Environmental Crime Programme.

The drive drew more than 320 officials from the police, customs and environmental protection agencies.

The International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW), which sponsored a training programme for the participants ahead of the operation, said ivory poaching was rising sharply.

"Thousands of elephants are butchered for their ivory every year and the situation continues to worsen," said Kelvin Alie, IFAW's Wildlife Crime Director.

"2011 was the worst year on record for seizures with over 23 tons of ivory seized," he said. "These animals suffer terribly as they are cruelly killed or wounded so that their skins, tusks, quills and other body parts can be torn off and trafficked."

The countries which participated in the operation were South Africa, Botswana, Ethiopia, Ghana, Guinea, Kenya, Liberia, Mozambique, Namibia, Nigeria, Rwanda, Swaziland, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

Seizures of contraband ivory in Africa and China have soared in recent years as syndicates with deep roots in the billion-dollar wildlife smuggling trade seek to feed the spike in demand among increasingly wealthy Chinese.

- AFP

[mposthumus]

[Poplap]