EXCLUSIVE: HOW IVORY FROM 11,000 ELEPHANTS HAS DISAPPEARED INTO CHINA'S BLACK MARKET

[Guest guest]

Link:

http://www.eia-international.org/cgi/news/news.cgi?t=template & a=467 & source=

 

14 July 2008

 

EXCLUSIVE: HOW IVORY FROM 11,000 ELEPHANTS HAS DISAPPEARED INTO CHINA'S

BLACK MARKET.

 

As the country this week seeks legal elephant ivory trade status, EIA has

revealed how 110 tonnes of ivory - equivalent to the tusks of 11,000

elephants – has gone missing from its government controlled ivory

stockpiles.

 

The ivory's embarrassing disappearance is revealed in a confidential,

unpublished Chinese government document, obtained EIA.

 

EIA is releasing details of the document today on the eve of China's attempt

to win approval to resume international ivory trade from the UN Convention

on International Trade in Endangered Species.

(CITES<http://www.eia-international.org/cgi/links/linkstats.cgi?url=http:xxxxxxx\

xxxwww.cites.org & link_id=7 & site_name=CITES>)

 

 

In a publication entitled; " China, Ivory Trade and the Future of Africa's

elephants " EIA quotes from the secret document, written by a senior Chinese

government official, which states that:

 

• " We have not been able to account for the [ivory] shortfall through the

sale of legal ivory by the selected selling sites in the country. This

suggests a large amount of illegal sale of the ivory stockpile has taken

place " .

 

• *Some of the commercial sales units never kept any records of their ivory

stockpile. "

 

• " The markets in numerous cities that deal with ivory have for years been

dealing commercially with ivory products that did not come from

approved/registered sources " .

 

• " The relevant [Government] department instigated an investigation " into

the missing ivory.

 

" China's secret document on the missing 110 tonnes of ivory confirms the

extent of its massive illegal ivory trade and underlines why it must not be

allowed to legally trade ivory. It is already the world's largest importer

of illegal ivory which is already fueling poaching across Africa, wiping out

elephant populations. Chinese nationals have been implicated in illegal

ivory trade in 23 African nations. " said Allan Thornton, Chairman of the

Environmental Investigation Agency.

 

EIA will argue at the Geneva CITES meeting starting Monday that the missing

ivory confirms China's lack of control over its ivory trade, providing clear

grounds to refuse the country's request to trade legally in ivory for the

first time since the 1989 international ivory ban was passed. EIA will argue

to CITES member nations voting on China's request that allowing China to

import ivory legally will further stimulate elephant poaching, ivory

smuggling and illegal trade.

 

For further information, contact:

Allan Thornton (44) 207 354 7960 during office hours

 

Mobile +1 202 361 6941

 

 

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