Controversy continues over nature of ivory trade

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*August 25, 2009, 11:29 am

Amid Legal Ivory Trade, Illegal Sales Grow

By Pete Browne

The Associated Press A Kenya Wildlife Service warden stands in a strong room

holding elephant ivory impounded since 1989.

When the United Nations Convention for International Trade in Endangered

Species - or CITES - temporarily lifted a ban on sales of ivory last year,

the aim was to feed voracious markets in Asia with ivory from existing

stockpiles (or from elephants that had died naturally), generating

much-needed income for Africa.

 

Supporters of the move pointed out that a similar relaxation of the rules in

the late 1990s did not lead to an increase in poaching, and that proceeds

from such sales were at least partly used to improve conservation efforts.

Some 50 tons of ivory were sold to Japan at the time, generating $5 million

for Botswana, Namibia and Zimbabwe.

 

It's not working out quite so well this time around.

 

The recent lifting of the ban was designed to allow Botswana, Namibia, and

South Africa to market existing ivory stores. But DNA evidence has found

that some tusks seized in Asia originate from African countries not taking

part in the CITES sales - including Kenya - suggesting that the commodity is

being shipped across borders before being exported to Asia.

 

According to data from the Kenya Wildlife Service, the number of elephants

illegally poached in 2008 jumped to 98 from 47 in 2007. This year, 73

poachings have already been recorded.

 

Some advocates blame the lifting of the ban.

 

" The correlation between this rise in elephant poaching and ivory seizures

and the one-off sale of stockpiles by CITES can no longer be ignored, " said

James Isiche from the International Fund for Animal Welfare.

 

 

Charles Kariuki of the David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust - an organization set

up in Kenya to rescue injured elephants - agrees. " From conditions on the

ground we can tell if elephants are victims of ivory poaching or if they

have been involved in land conflicts with man, " he said. " Currently the

number of elephants in our care resulting from poaching is very, very high. "

 

A wildlife trade monitoring organizaiton, Traffic, found tusks on sale in

Vietnam for more than $1,800 per kilo, and has identified Bangkok as home to

Asia's largest market in illegal ivory.

 

Seizures, though, indicate that most raw African ivory is ultimately

destined for China, where owning ivory is associated with prosperity, and is

traditionally viewed as a status symbol. Richard Leakey, the former chairman

of the Kenyan Wildlife Service, said he believed that China's growing

economy and the lifting of the ban on ivory sales have combined to drive

increased poaching.

 

Meanwhile, one ivory trader, who said he only markets tusks obtained before

the CITES moratorium and who did not want to give his name for fear of

reprisal, believes the ban on ivory sales was not working, and that opening

up the market is the answer.

 

" There are large elephant populations across Africa and many issues with

land, " he said. " I don't condone the killing of elephants, but I think ivory

obtained from natural deaths should be made available. "

 

Tourism is the third largest contributor to Kenya's economy, and 70 percent

of this is derived from its wildlife.

 

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