http://www.kbc.co.ke/kenya-to-...gal-ivory-this-year/

Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta Tuesday set ablaze fifteen tons of contraband ivory as a symbol of Jubilee government’s renewed commitment to fight poaching in the country.

To underline Kenya’s determination to eradicate poaching, President Kenyatta said the Government will burn the rest of the contraband ivory stockpile within the year.

The President commended Belgium, Chad, China, Hong Kong, Czech Republic, Gabon, France, Philippines, and the USA which have over the past three years destroyed contraband elephant ivory and rhino horn.

He assured the international community of Kenya’s resolve to preserve humanity’s shared heritage in wildlife and to specifically save the elephant and the rhino for posterity.

“We want future generations of Kenyans, Africans and the entire world to experience the majesty and beauty of these magnificent beasts.

Poachers and their enablers will not have the last word. We hope the rest of the world will follow our action in the same manner,” he added.

The historical event at the Nairobi National Park also witnessed by First Lady Margaret Kenyatta coincides with the World Wildlife Day and is the third by a Kenya Head of State. The event also commemorates the Wangari Maathai Day and Africa Environment Day.

The celebrations bring together Kenyans, the African Union, UN Agencies in Nairobi, International environmental organisations and Representatives of the Diplomatic to reflect on the splendid natural heritage and obligation to protect it for posterity.

President Kenyatta said the three-way commemoration represents the multilateral convergence and international consensus on environmental protection and conservation of biodiversity.

He assured that Kenya remains firmly at the forefront of all activities aimed at sustaining the momentum in the fight against poaching and illegal wildlife trade.

Saying the Government has made significant progress in reducing wildlife poaching, President Kenyatta called for intensive investment and cooperation with all stakeholders to win the war on ivory trade.

“Twenty five years after the historic banning of ivory trade, new demand from emerging markets once again threatens Africa’s elephants and rhinos,” the President adds.

He expressed African countries’ concerns over the scale and rate of the new threat to the continent’s endangered wildlife species.

“Kenya has played a leading role in wildlife conservation and the fight against poaching. In 1989, Kenya led the international community in stopping the international ivory trade by symbolically burning its ivory stockpile,” the President said.

The 2015 theme is “Wildlife crime is serious; let’s get serious about wildlife crime”.

President Kenyatta said the Africa Environment and Wangari Maathai Day have additional significance as indicated by the theme as “we now recognize the vital role played by women in environmental management and sustainable utilization of natural resources”.

“The decision by the AU in 2012 to recognize the life and work of the late Prof. Wangari Maathai is an immense honour to her memory, and the people of Kenya,” he added.

Cabinet Secretary for Environment, Water and Natural Resources Judy Wakhungu assured that her ministry will continue working with all stakeholders in addressing environmental degradation and poaching challenges.

“Today is an opportunity to rededicate our efforts in protecting our environment not only for Kenya but for the whole world,” she affirmed.

The Ugandan High Commissioner to Kenya Ambassador Angeline Wapakhabulo on behalf of Dean of Diplomatic Corps said the late Wangari Maathai’s efforts to protect and conserve environment transcended all spheres of humanity.

Other Speakers included AU Commissioner for Rural Economy Tumusiine Rhoda, Mette Løyche Wilkie Director, Division of Environmental Policy Implementation at the UNEP and Wanjira Mathai, daughter of the late Wangari Mathai.

If my predecessor, Daniel arap Moi was stupid enough to lend his ears out to Richard Lealey, then so I can be so stupid to follow the poor example! Sickening!

Can anyone really believe any normal human being can do this??

What an utter waste!

Damned if they do and damned if they don't.

There will never be any consensus reached, the pro's and con's are just too far apart.

We humans really are a strange bunch !!

Saw this on the news yesterday. DISGUSTING!

It's called Dumb and Dumber

As an amateur economist, I think that flooding the market would have a beneficial effect. It would drive prices down, at least for awhile. After all, the eles are already dead.

Burning the poachers, dealers and receivers of the ivory would have much more of an impact.

Or, they could have sold the ivory at auction and used the money received to pay for anti-poaching efforts.
Such symbolic actions are counter productive, much like "feel good" laws.

For a while I thought it was worth the effort to try...but you just can't save Africa from herself...Africa always wins. The day the British turned Kenya back over to African leadership..the fate of Kenya's wildlife was sealed.

quote:

Originally posted by crshelton:
Or, they could have sold the ivory at auction and used the money received to pay for anti-poaching efforts.
Such symbolic actions are counter productive, much like "feel good" laws.

The one big problem with this idea is it reeks of common sense. I continue to be amazed at the utter level of stupidity at which these people function.

Selling the ivory would have only increased consumption in China. The cultural significance of ivory being associated with status, prestige etc is not fully appreciated in the west.

The industry in Hong Kong already has stock piled years worth of ivory.

The only hope for the elephant is to threaten China with withdrawing support for the Giant Panda conservation and removing the Panda from the logo of the WWF! Only international embarrassment and loss of status will achieve anything.

That is the Eastern mindset.

I would have sold the ivory, and used the money to establish an efficient, well equipped team, with orders to shoot any ivory poacher on sight!

See how long the ivory poaching is going to last then.

The black man in Africa is so adept at the art of destruction,it is only a matter of time until utter destruction of all living things they come into contact with will be gone.

quote:

Originally posted by Brice:
As an amateur economist, I think that flooding the market would have a beneficial effect. It would drive prices down, at least for awhile. After all, the eles are already dead.

My thoughts exactly. But that solution is not PC. Not legal etc.

But effective!

quote:

Originally posted by crshelton:
Or, they could have sold the ivory at auction and used the money received to pay for anti-poaching efforts.
Such symbolic actions are counter productive, much like "feel good" laws.

The "Sheeple" do love them though......



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http://allafrica.com/stories/201503080134.html


Kenya: Five Elephants Poached in Tsavo

By Raphael Mwadime


FIVE elephants have been killed at Tsavo National Park and Taita ranch.

Four elephants were killed at Tsavo East National park on Tuesday, the same day President Uhuru Kenyatta burned 15 tonnes of ivory to mark the World Wildlife Day.

"KWS rangers found two of the elephants' tusks were removed, while the other two were found with their tusks still intact," a source in the Kenya Wildlife Service told the Star yesterday.

Another elephant died at Taita ranch on Wednesday after being shot with a poisoned arrow on its hind leg.

Taita Ranch director Renson Dio told the Star on the phone their herders found the elephant with a swollen rear leg, struggling to walk.

They called KWS officers, who removed the tusks from the dead elephant.

"It seems the elephant was shot elsewhere and came here to drink water at the dam before it died," Dio said.

He said security has improved at the ranches following the deployment of KWS rangers, Administration Police and GSU officers.

Anti poaching crusader Jim Nyamu expressed concern at the poaching as he tours the Tsavo ecosystem to educate the community on the dangers of poaching.

"The poaching crisis continues to escalate and it really gets to me every time an elephant is killed," Nyamu posted on his Facebook wall on Thursday.

"I will not be deterred. I will walk until the world knows that ivory belongs to elephants."

The years 2011, 2012 and 2013 witnessed the highest levels of poaching since the crisis of the 1980s.

KWS director general William Kiprono last month said Kenya lost 47 elephants and five rhinos to poaching in 2007, 384 and 30 in 2012, and 302 and 59 in 2013.

Last year, 164 elephants and 35 rhinos were poached, representing a significant decrease from previous years.

According to the UN Environment Program, Africa was home to an estimated 500,000 elephants but has been losing 30,000 annually to poaching

http://allafrica.com/stories/201503061400.html


Kenya: Will China Ivory Ban Stop Poaching?

ANALYSIS

By John Muchangi


A week after China announced a one-year ban on imports of carved ivory products from Africa, local conservationists say the largely symbolic move is not enough to stop poaching in countries like Kenya.

The Chinese administration said it would not handle any ivory import requests for the next year and further warned its citizens not to bring back ivory from abroad.

Nairobi-based African Wildlife Foundation says while the ban signifies Chinese government's acknowledgement of link between ivory trade and elephant poaching, stronger action is needed.

"We certainly welcome this positive step, as it is further acknowledgement by the Chinese government of the link between owning or gifting ivory products and elephant poaching in Africa," says AWF CEO Dr Patrick Bergin. "As a next step, we would ask China to consider an outright ban on all ivory trade in the country. It is the legal trade in China that shields the black market trade and complicates law enforcement efforts."

Before last week's ban, Chinese returning from Africa with carvings could apply for a permit to bring the ivory into the country legally.

Some of them have been intercepted at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airports and charged under Kenya's harsh wildlife crimes law.

But the Chinese State Forestry Administration said it will now no longer issue those permits.

"In many ways the ivory import ban reinforces the message of our public awareness campaign by warning consumers not to buy ivory given the deadly consequences," says Bergin, in a statement. "We need the help and cooperation of the Chinese government and Chinese citizens if we are going to save Africa's elephants."

AWF and its partners WildAid and Save The Elephants have been targeting many of the same ivory consumers through a widespread public awareness campaign and via targeted public service announcements (PSAs). The PSAs feature celebrities such as former NBA star Yao Ming and Chinese film icon Li Bingbing, who disseminate the message that when the buying stops, the killing can too.

The Chinese move came before President Uhuru Kenyatta set fire to 15 tonnes of elephant ivory on Tuesday. The ivory, with a black market value of Sh2.7 billion, is the largest consignment to be destroyed in Kenya.

"Many of these tusks belonged to elephants which were wantonly slaughtered by criminals," Uhuru said at the ceremony in Nairobi National Park.

Elephant ivory is often smuggled to Asia for use in ornaments

quote:

The day the British turned Kenya back over to African leadership..the fate of Kenya's wildlife was sealed.

Very true and very sad..

You guys realize ivory won't burn, right. Its a big publicity stunt.