Kenya backed on plan to ban trade in ivory

Story by ODHIAMBO ORLALE
Publication Date: 5/19/2007
Seven African countries are backing Kenya’s proposal for a 20-year moratorium on ivory trade.

But the proposal has been opposed by southern African states, including Botswana, Namibia, Zimbabwe and South Africa.

Mali has supported the proposal. Other proponents of the freeze are Ghana, Chad, Niger, Democratic Republic of Congo, Togo, Sierra Leone and Niger. Last evening, Uganda and Nigeria had not taken a stand on the issue.

Unlimited trade

Kenya and Mali asked delegates from 38 African states attending a two-day consultative meeting in Nairobi to support the proposed ban. Namibia and Botswana, which were not represented at the meeting, are lobbying for unlimited trade by seeking quotas from government ivory stocks.

The final decision on the matter will be made by the 171 member states of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (Cites) during its meeting at The Hague, Netherlands, next month.

Yesterday, Tourism minister Morris Dzoro, permanent secretary Rebecca Nabutola and Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) director Julius Kipng’etich spent the day lobbying delegates to support the ban and save elephants, which have been declared an endangered species by Cites.

Strong case

“Kenya strongly believes that a strong case exists for the Conference of Parties to consider adopting the proposal for a 20-year suspension of ivory trade,†the minister said. He was confident that delegates from East, Central and West Africa would support Kenya’s stand.

“We are happy to have the support of Mali and six other African countries so far, but at the same time we are also lobbying countries in southern Africa to back us,†he said.

Mr Dzoro added that they were reaching out to the European Union and countries in North and South America and the Caribbean for backing.

Resolutions from the on-going Nairobi meeting will be presented to the June 3-15 Cites conference.

A delegate from Sierra Leone, Mr Kalie Bangura, declared his country’s support of the proposed ban. Sierra Leone has less than 300 elephants, while Senegal has less than 10. Nigeria has 1,500 and Uganda 3,000.

Another meeting of the African Elephant Range States will be held at The Hague from May 30 to June 1 ahead of the Cites conference.

Since the last Cites conference in Bangkok, Thailand, in 2004, more than 40 tonnes of ivory have been seized.

Amazing. Any ban of this nature would only impact those who abide by the law. It would not stop the flow of ivory in the black market.

And just think about it-ivory gets banned from legal export. Black market price of ivory skyrockets. Poachers in distressed economies can now earn more in the black market ivory trade. Poaching, and not hunting, is the real peril to African wildlife.

Hunting stops, but poaching increases based on the new incentive of more money.

Drugs are illegal as well. When a major source is shut down in the "drug war", the price of drugs then skyrockets, providing more incentive to deal in drugs. It sure does not curtail demand.

My bet is that most ivory today, legal and illegal, ends up in countries that turn a blind eye to CITES enforcement within their borders. My other bet is that at least some countries supporting the ban already have a solid black market pipeline set up, and will profit even more by a ban.

The other downside is that animals are no longer viewed as a renewable resource. No value, no luck. Another flourishing business in bush meat until the supply runs out.

Great idea. I suppose this is African economics.

Well said Jim and I totally agree with you. LDK

One of the saddest sights are idiots with power. When will a government organiztion recognize one of the most endangered species on earth is the law abbiding ethical hunter.

Kenya sticks to the ban on ivory trade

Story by KEN OPALA
Publication Date: 5/21/2007
Kenya appears isolated by its neighbours in the battle for lifting of the ban on trade in ivory.

While Tanzania has sided with southern African nations that seek the resumption of international trade in ivory, Uganda has asked for “more time to consult†before making its stand known on whether to support Kenya’s proposal for a 20-year moratorium.

However, despite Tanzania’s position, Kenya is backed by 10 elephant-range states, including Chad, Mali, Nigeria, South Sudan, Togo, Rwanda, Sierra Leone, Congo Brazzaville, Ivory Coast, Burundi and the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Last Saturday nations backing Kenya signed a declaration opposing any move to downgrade the status of the Elephant. On Friday, the Ministry of Tourism and Wildlife and Kenya Wildlife Service convened the African Elephant Consultative Workshop in Preparation for the 14th Conference of Parties to the Cites to lobby Africa to support Kenya’s stand on ivory trade.

A decision on whether or not to resume the trade will be taken next month as world experts in wildlife matters meet in The Hague, the Netherlands, under Cites (International Convention of Trans-boundary Trade in Endangered Fauna and Flora) umbrella.

It will be preceded by a meeting of African wildlife range states at the same venue.

“We have today called on other African range states to share with them our moratorium proposal because we believe it is the best for the African elephants and African people,†Patrick Omondi, the KWS head of the species conservation department said.

Kenya was instrumental in the fight to have the elephant and the rhino listed as endangered species in 1989 thus banning trade in their products.

Different approach

Despite being invited, Tanzania inexplicably failed to attend the Nairobi consultative meeting. The Ugandan delegate to the consultations asked for more time to consult, according to Mr Omondi, who is spearheading Kenya’s fight for the world’s largest mammal.

“We share elephant populations with Tanzania. We face the same challenges,†says Omondi.

“We know our policy as regards wildlife conservation and management is quite different from Tanzania’s.â€

Any differences in conservation approaches by the two countries could re-ignite the kind of poaching witnessed in the 1970s and 1980s when Kenya’s elephant population plummeted from 167,000 to 16,000 in less than 20 years.

Legalized hunting equals larger elephant populations. Banning hunting equals a massive poaching increase and less elephants. It has been proven over and over, it cannot even be questioned. If you outlaw selling ivory only outlaws will be selling it. Think I've heard that before somewhere.