Ivory Stocks Disposal Under Threat

Harare, November 26, 2009 - Zimbabwe's bid to dispose off its 26 tonnes of ivory until 2028 might fail following indications by Kenya that it will propose to extent the existing embargo on the trade of ivory in the Southern African nation at the next Convention on International Trade on Endangered Species (CITES) meeting in Doha, Qatar in March 2010.



RadioVop has learnt that the proposal by Kenya, a powerful member in CITES, is also being supported by Ghana, Liberia, Mali, Togo, Congo Brazaville and Rwanda, which will see the current existing moratorium of nine years being extended by another 10 years.

Zimbabwe on the other hand has been luring support from Southern African Development Community (SADC) member states like Zambia, Namibia, Botswana and South Africa who will be affected if CITES decides to extend the moratorium on the trade in ivory.

The CITES meeting rules on proposals by member countries and makes a decision if two thirds of the member countries are in agreement on any decision.

Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Authority director general, Morris Mutsambiwa, said Zimbabwe will fight to block the proposal by Kenya as it is against the spirit of the last COP (Conference of Parties) meeting at the Hague where they agreed that African nations including Kenya must create a management strategy and a fund to administer elephants on the continent.

"The problem with the extension being suggested by Kenya on the moratorium confuses the issues as the last CITES meeting where there was a consensus reached by African countries that we are going to put together an elephant management strategy and an action plan to followed by a fund to implement the strategy,"Mutsambiwa said. "As a region we will reject Kenya's proposal.Kenya is just doing this to confuse issues and they are not looking at tangible management issues that confront us as far as elephants are concerned.These are the issues that we should be following up."

Zimbabwe international image on ivory trade is dented by the increase in poaching over the years, this year up to October the country lost 65 elephants and 30 rhinos to poachers this year.

Senior government officials have been named in the media as the powerful forces behind the latest surge in poaching and allegations of improper awarding of hunting concessions to close allies of President Robert Mugabe where most poaching is being experienced.

Zimbabwe currently holds 26 tonnes of ivory and four tonnes of rhino horns.