Elephant plan is misguided

Next March, assuming everything goes smoothly, Thailand will host a major meeting of delegates from the 175 nations that are members of Cites, to talk about ivory. Cites is the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, charged with helping the world take common-sense measures to protect wildlife.

In the past few years, Cites has lost the plot entirely on elephants. When it brings its convention to Bangkok, it wants to pass a treaty opening up the ivory trade again.

The plan was debated hotly last week at a preparatory meeting in Geneva. The discussion revolved around two competing ideas about ivory. One side held that the ivory trade is not just the greatest cause of elephant poaching, but the only important cause. In the past, the ivory trade was almost exclusively responsible for a fall in elephant populations worldwide, reaching near extinction in parts of Africa. This side wants to continue, but perhaps modify the worldwide ban on ivory.

The other, wrong side of this issue, unbelievably wants to resume the ivory trade. Their logic, if it can be called that, goes like this. There is a lot of ivory in warehouses worldwide that is illegal. The stockpile of ivory held in bond is increasing as tusks are harvested from dead elephants - only those that die from natural causes and old age of course. If this ivory were sold in a new, regulated worldwide market, it could raise millions. And that money could be used for more projects to save more endangered species.

It is such a precise, orderly and reasonable plan, one just knows it will go off the track quickly. There are the claims that a database of ivory stocks will be kept meticulously and no illegal ivory could be admitted. That would be like the world's medical supplies, where criminals never can plant counterfeit pills. Or currency, which is printed so carefully, under such heavy security, that no fake banknotes ever get moved.

The so-called secure database and legitimate ivory markings, like medicine and currency, will be invaded and attacked by criminals. That is a given. Poachers will shoot elephants, harvest the ivory and by a dozen different means will mix the illegal ivory with the legal variety.

They also will piggyback on Cites' legal ivory trade to mix up the market. Ivory smugglers, just like drug smugglers, have hundreds of methods to move, traffic and sell their tusks or ivory products.

Thailand is not only an elephant-friendly, elephant loving nation whose great beasts are being depleted by human encroachment. It also is one of the world centres of the illegal ivory trade. Tusks are smuggled into Thailand so that corrupt artists can fashion goods for onward sale to the greedy, uncaring self-styled connoisseurs of carved ivory.

When Cites comes to Bangkok, host Thailand should strive hard to defeat this plan to legalise the ivory trade. There must be increased enforcement of the law and border efforts to stop ivory trafficking. Adopting a plan to resume the ivory trade, no matter how well intentioned, is naive and will lead to further killing, endangerment and possible extinction of these wonderful animals.

Share your thoughts

Discussion 1 : 06/08/2012 at 09:42 PM
Let me now try to get a comment posted for a second time. The cultural importance of elephants differ between Asia and Africa. However most ivory come from the African elephants as they have bigger tusks. Some countries have implement good policies and programmes to protect their elephants such as South Africa and Namibia. These countries are now financially hurt by the Cites ban while countries that have done very little to stop poaching and smuggling of ivory don't care about the ban. The Cites ban on ivory trade will not stop smuggeling and is only increasing the market price of ivory thus making it more attractive to poach and smuggle. To stop ivory poaching you must take away the market through education and informative advertising. If you can't change the attitude of people towards ivory the Cites ban will achieve nothing.
Discussion 2 : 06/08/2012 at 01:42 PM
Africa is the home to most ivory producing elephants. It is also a continent with poor rules and regulations and hopeless enforcement. Bangkok is the en-route stop for the produce heading to China and japan where ivory carvers are at work. It is also another place where all the above are apparent. Just like drugs there is a market for the end product and for profit people will supply. Can we reduce the market or terminate it completely? If we don't I think we are doomed to fail.
Discussion 3 : 06/08/2012 at 10:43 AM
I forgot .Ownership of elephants on Thailand should be illegal .They should become a national asset as they are the symbol of the country and should be given large tracks of land to live in in areas where they can live .Trading and trafficking in elephants should carry a heavy penalty that reflects their importance .
Discussion 4 : 06/08/2012 at 10:31 AM
Thailand is a trafficking hub for all things illegal .People are smuggled for labor ,Girls are smuggled for prostitution ,Drugs are smuggled from Burma and to other countries ,Ivory is sent through Thailand .Concentrate on making it more difficult to traffic this stuff and maybe we can become a hub for something positive.

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