IFAW: Controversial ivory sales close today in South Africa

Thursday, 6 November 2008 12:00 AM

South Africa is auctioning approximately 51 tonnes of elephant ivory today, ending a series of sales that totalled 108 tonnes. The previous auctions were held by Namibia, Botswana and Zimbabwe. This is the first time in nearly 10 years that international trade in elephant ivory has been permitted by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES). The total amount of stockpiled ivory sold during this period accounted for approximately 10,000 dead elephants.

The three previous sales totalled an estimated 55 tonnes of ivory. According to media reports, approximately USD $7MIL (GBP £4.5MIL) was raised from the auctions by these three countries combined. This is merely a fraction of what such amounts of raw ivory would fetch in Asian markets.

China and Japan, both of which have thriving illegal ivory markets, have been approved as trading partners for this ivory. The International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW)'s Elephants Programme Director, and former director of Kenya Wildlife Service, Michael Wamithi, said: "Allowing this exorbitant amount of ivory to flood the market, considering the level of elephant poaching occurring today, is just plain irresponsible."

One year ago, a suspension of at least nine years on international elephant ivory trade was approved at the 14th meeting of the CITES Conference of the Parties. This trade ban is due to come into effect after the stockpiles sales are completed.

Robbie Marsland, Director, IFAW UK said: "Permitting these sales sends a message to poachers that it is open season on elephants. We fear that any legal trade in ivory creates a smokescreen to allow traders to launder illicit ivory and leads to increasing illegal hunting by poachers. Every piece of ivory represents a dead elephant and sadly these sales could spell disaster for struggling populations of elephants in Central and Western Africa.

"The forthcoming nine year trade suspension is crucial for protecting elephants in the future. IFAW is calling on the UK Government and international community to invest much needed resources into elephant conservation," continued Marsland. "The UK government, acting as a representative of the EU, voted to allow these sales to go ahead to China, so must now take responsibility to ensure that elephants do not bear the brunt of this decision."

In 1989, CITES Parties listed the African elephant on Appendix I, effectively prohibiting all international trade in elephant products, including ivory. However, in 1997 certain populations were down-listed to Appendix II, allowing trade with special permissions from CITES. These sales will be the second time in nearly two decades that the international sale in ivory has been authorised since the initial ban.

Just recently, global online auction platform eBay, Inc. announced a ban on all trade in elephant ivory over their Web sites, effective 1 January 2009. This decision followed a recent investigation by IFAW that revealed the massive scope and scale of the illegal wildlife trade on the Internet.

ENDS

Editors: Still images and broadcast quality archive video available of elephants, poaching, rangers and ivory.

Tags: