IFAW: Elephant slaughter continues
Wednesday, 05, Jul 2006 12:00
Taiwan ivory seizure reveals how the slaughter of elephants continues...
(Taipei, Taiwan - 5 July 2006) - More than two tonnes of elephant ivory - 350 African elephant tusks - was seized yesterday by Taiwan custom officers according to news agency sources (1); revealing a thriving black market trade that conservationists fear threatens the future survival of the species.
The illegal ivory - representing at least 175 dead elephants, and valued at more than US$3 million - was found in two shipments enroute from Tanzania to Manilla, Phillipines. Customs officers reported that the raw tusks still had traces of blood on them, and said the difference in sizes indicated the ivory came from both young and old elephants (2). Officials also believe that this could be the largest illegal shipment of ivory found on the island, since 2000 when 332 tusks were uncovered.
This seizure comes less than one month after Hong Kong officials uncovered an illegal shipment of 600 ivory tusks, thought to be from Cameroon.
Incidences of poaching and ivory seizure have been on the increase since 2002, when the U.N. Convention on International trade in Endangered Species (CITES) proposed to reopen the international ivory trade with a second one-off sale of 60 tonnes of stockpiled ivory from Botswana, Namibia and South Africa.
Dr. Joth Singh, Director of Wildlife and Habitat Protection with IFAW (International Fund for Animal Welfare - www.ifaw.org), said: "We commend Taiwanese officials for intercepting this massive shipment of illegal ivory. Sadly, though, many elephants were killed for this ivory. Sadder still, this is only the tip of the iceberg - many more elephants are dieing every day to feed the growing illegal ivory trade."
IFAW believes that any legal sale in ivory creates a smokescreen for illegal trade, and therefore an increase in poaching. "Ivory trade kills elephants - to reopen the trade would only bring a death sentence to thousands of elephants," Dr Singh added.
IFAW is calling for CITES to revoke the stockpile sale decision and for an international moratorium on ivory trade. This would allow discussions and resources to focus on the conservation of elephants, which continue to decrease in number on a global scale, rather than the trade in their tusks.
Ends
Notes to editors
(1) AFP Report, 4 July 2006
(2) The China Post, 5 July 2006
- The international trade in elephant ivory was banned by the U.N. Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) in 1989, however some CITES member nations, led Namibia, Botswana, South Africa and China, continue to push for the lifting of the ban and a resumption of trade.
- Although Taiwan is not a signatory to CITES, it works to comply with wildlife protection measures adopted by other countries.
- This Taiwan ivory seizure is the latest seizure in what has become a global trend. Other major seizures include:
· 3.9 metric tonnes (7800 pounds) of elephant ivory seized in Hong Kong in May 2006.
· 80lbs (176 kgs) of elephant ivory seized in Kenya in January 2005.
· 500 lbs (250 kgs) of elephant ivory seized in Brazzaville, Congo in August 2005.
· 142 elephant items seized in the UK in November 2004.
· 6.5 metric tonnes (13,000 pounds) of elephant ivory seized in Singapore in 2002 - the world's largest seizure since the 1989 international trade ban was implemented.
- Three Southern African countries, Botswana, Namibia and South Africa were granted permission by CITES in 2002 to sell 60 tonnes of ivory stockpiles, despite widespread opposition by many governments and NGOs. The sale is dependent on certain conditions being met, such as effective monitoring of the illegal killing of elephants (MIKE) and proper trade controls.
- The CITES Secretariat are meeting in October this year and conservationists fear a decision allowing the sale of the stockpiles could be made then.
Contact:
Rosa Hill (IFAW UK) - tel: 0207 587 6715; mob: 07801 613 530; email: rhill@ifaw.org
Editors: For more information visit www.ifaw.org Still images and broadcast quality video also available of elephants and previously seized ivory.