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CHARITY BLOG
WWF WARNS OF SURGE IN ILLEGAL ELEPHANT IVORY
WWF: Legal ivory sales may be fueling increased elephant poaching
WWF is urging action to counter an upsurge in the illegal elephant ivory trade after more than 14,000 ivory products were seized in 2009.
The world ivory trading ban was implemented 20 years ago but it is estimated that around 10% of Africa’s elephants are killed each year to supply the trade.
The increase is fuelled in large part by growing demand in Asia, where ivory is a status symbol for the middle classes of newly industrialised countries.
Whilst international campaigners are agreed that action is required, there is less consensus on what form it might take.
“It is a really worrying situation,” said Richard Thomas, director of Traffic. “However, it is not absolutely clear what should be done.”
Conflict is expected at the March meeting of Cites, the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species, over the future of sales of legitimate stockpiles of ivory that have been permitted by international agreement.
Southern African countries including South Africa, Namibia and Botswana believe that they have too many elephants and even leaglised hunting cannot keep the number under control within confined wildlife areas.
Southern African conservationists want to cull elephants and sell the ivory as too many elephants can damage habitat and have a detrimental effect on the conservation of other species, many of which are more endangered than the elephants themselves.
However, in other parts of Africa, where conservation isn’t as well organised as in Southern Africa, illegal hunting is on the rise and these countries believe that the legal ivory trade is stimulating the illegal market.
“Unfortunately the evidence is not clear whether stockpile sales increase demand for ivory or help to control it,” said Heather Sohl of the WWF.
“We have had recent stockpile sales of ivory and poaching has increased dramatically. But other factors may be involved. Many African countries are suffering terrible drought and local people are desperate. Killing elephants brings money, alas.”
The WWF Eyes and Ears initiative asks you to take a leading role in stamping out the illegal wildlife trade by letting them know if you’ve seen or heard anything.
By Dan Sumners
