ARA Press release on proposed sale of Ivory to China

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Link: http://www.animalrightsafrica.org/PR_16Jul08_Ivory_Sale.php

Press Release

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SOUTH AFRICA'S CONTROVERSIAL SALE OF IVORY TO CHINA SPELLS TOTAL DISASTER

FOR AFRICA'S ELEPHANTS

*16 July 2008*

 

Animal Rights Africa (ARA) is shocked at yesterday's CITES (Convention on

International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora) Standing

Committee decision to allow China – one of the world's biggest (and ever

burgeoning) consumers of elephant ivory - to import 51 tons of ivory from

South Africa. In real terms this represents the death of an estimated 7,699

South African elephants (1.8 tusks per elephant and 3.68kg per tusk).

 

This sale has literally given the green light to the international poaching

syndicates and Organised Crime and will present a nightmare to poorly

resourced wildlife enforcement agencies in Africa. The international

wildlife trade is worth billions of US dollars annually and has been

responsible for the decline of wild populations of a number of species of

animals. Annually more than 20,000 elephants are killed for the illegal

ivory trade and Chinese nationals have already been implicated in illegal

ivory seizures by law enforcement agencies in 20 African countries.

 

It is shameful that the South African government is one of the main

proponents for the continuation of the immoral ivory trade. In spite of the

irrefutable ethical and scientific evidence to the contrary it appears to be

solely driven by commercial interests and trade that gives no consideration

for the rights and welfare of elephants and which are killing elephants and

transforming these intelligent and sentient beings into mere commodities.

According to ARA spokesperson, Michele Pickover, " ARA is fundamentally

opposed to the export of elephant ivory from South Africa (and the other

southern African countries involved in this arrangement: Botswana, Namibia

and Zimbabwe) at a time when many thousands of elephants are still being

poached and tons of ivory are traded illegally. What is even more abhorrent

is that the South African government is already licking its lips at the

prospect of this dishonourable and blood-soaked deal. We are also horrified

that Britain and the EU supported this sale. This reinforces our view that

CITES is merely a pro-trade organisation and does not have the interests of

elephants at heart. CITES has failed wild animals because it remains silent

on the basic ethical question of whether it is even appropriate to engage in

international trade. It appears to be concerned not so much with protecting

species as with allowing trade in endangered ones, which makes it almost

Orwellian in character. "

 

China's lack of human rights, its support of repressive regimes and extreme

oppression and exploitation of animals are well known and should be cause

enough for other countries not to trade with it, but there are other

significant grounds too which relate specifically to elephants and the ivory

trade. Of immense concern is that China remains the major destination for

illegal ivory from poached African elephants. This indicates lack of control

of domestic ivory trade. Permitting the legal import of ivory to China is

likely to facilitate laundering of illegal ivory into the Chinese market,

and will likely increase the poaching of elephants. There are serious doubts

that China has control over the domestic manufacturing and trade of ivory –

one of the CITES stipulations for approval of an " ivory trading partner " .

There is also no conclusive evidence that implementation and enforcement are

adequate in China. Investigative research and market surveys in China

confirm that:

 

- Vast amounts of illegal ivory are on sale despite the existence of a

registration system which appears to be widely abused and manipulated by

traders.

- The Chinese government has legalised ivory trade by dozens of companies

thought to be implicated in illicit trade.

- Registered traders buy ivory from and sell to illegal dealers, as well

as to illegally export ivory.

- The Chinese government has auctioned off confiscated ivory from poached

elephants.

- Most of China's 20 largest cities have not been surveyed for

availability of ivory and the effectiveness of government-enacted controls.

- Over a period of a decade China lost track of 121 tons of ivory.

 

ARA notes with disquiet that the CITES MIKE (Monitoring of Illegal Killing

of Elephants) programme cannot provide the fast response mechanism as

originally intended since it is not sensitive enough to immediately detect

and report on poaching that takes place as a result of this sale. There is

also no way to " recall " the ivory once it is exported. Thus, the effect of

this export on elephant poaching will not be " officially " known for years

and will not be reversible. The data gathered by MIKE, despite significant

levels of investment, are not portraying a true picture of the levels of

illegal killing of elephants. The selection of sites is strongly biased

towards protected areas; data are not up-to-date, have been collected in

different years and with different methods and therefore are not really

comparable. MIKE is therefore not able to detect increases in poaching in

time.

 

South Africa should not be considered by CITES as a legitimate trading

partner either. Over the years South Africa has been given permission at

CITES to sell ivory on condition that the proceeds of the trade are used

exclusively for elephant conservation and community conservation and

development programmes within or adjacent to the elephant range. This has

not happened in the past and is not likely to happen now. Moreover, there is

no monitoring mechanism in place – either locally, regionally or within

CITES - to oversee that this takes place. ARA, in discussions with a senior

DEAT officials in June last year, was told unequivocally that proceeds from

these sales do not go back into conservation but straight into general State

coffers. What this implies is that our government is not being honest. CITES

has identified the unregulated domestic ivory markets as THE most

significant source of illicit international trade in ivory but South Africa

does not appear to have control over the domestic manufacturing and trade of

ivory, yet the reply by the Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism

to a Democratic Alliance parliamentary question in the National Assembly in

June 2008 clearly shows that provinces and SANParks with " ivory stockpiles "

are allowed to sell ivory within South Africa and the quantity is entirely

unknown or unregulated.

 

" The sale of ivory to China has once again divided Africans and this means

that sensible, humane continent-wide conservation programmes that will

benefit REAL conservation remain elusive " , said Pickover.

 

Ends.

 

ARA Spokepersons:

 

Steve Smit – 082 659 4711

Michele Pickover – 082 253 2124

 

ARA email - info

Steve Smit - steve

 

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