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Geneva, Switzerland—The
Species
Survival Network (SSN), a global coalition of conservation and animal
protection organizations dedicated to safeguarding wildlife from
international trade, welcomed today’s judgment by delegates
to
the Standing Committee of the Convention on International Trade in
Endangered Species (CITES) to uphold the current suspension of
international ivory trade. The Committee’s important decision
to
prevent renewed ivory sales was made in the face of significant
pressure from those vested interests that stand to profit most from
ivory sales.
Will Travers, SSN President, advocated
a precautionary approach to elephant conservation. “We always
encourage government delegates to learn from conservation mistakes
throughout history so that we do not repeat them,” he said
from the meeting in Geneva. “CITES delegates remember
all-too-well the carnage of the 1970s and 1980s, when poached elephant
carcasses unceremoniously littered the African savannah. Sound science
and current data strongly suggest that renewed ivory trade could bring
us perilously close to reviving the onslaught.”
However, the Committee’s
decision to
designate Japan as an importing country for potential future sales was
widely criticized. Although many concerns were voiced at the meeting
with regard to Japan’s ability to control its domestic ivory
market, the Committee relented and used an endorsement of Japan as a
compromise. This will surely send out a mixed message, potentially
encouraging elephant poaching and ivory stockpiling for future sale.
Committee members were asked to
consider a new report published by MIKE (Monitoring Illegal Killing of
Elephants), a field-based programme that was established to provide
conclusive evidence that the levels of illegal elephant poaching were
sufficiently low to permit renewed trade. “Monitoring what is
happening to wild elephants across Africa and Asia is an enormously
complex process and the results so far do not provide an adequate or
reliable picture.” Travers concluded.
The Standing Committee determined that
the
baseline data prepared by MIKE did not meet the stated criteria. Data
are still incomplete for six different study sites in Southeast Asia,
for instance, and new data are not expected until some time in 2007.
Standing Committee delegates also expressed concern over reported
increases in ivory seizures, suggesting an increase in illegal activity
surrounding the ivory trade, and called for increased wildlife law
enforcement capacity to prevent illegal ivory trade.
“After years of work and
millions of dollars invested in the MIKE process we had hoped for and
expected a far more robust and effective document,” Travers
added. “We question whether CITES Parties should be willing
to invest a further $12 million between 2007 and 2011, in the context
of MIKE’s lack of success to date, and which may simply lead
to a scenario that allows once more the sale of ivory trinkets as
tourist souvenirs. Investing that money on anti-poaching and
field-based wildlife conservation efforts could achieve more
significant benefits for wild elephants.”
SSN believes that the entire MIKE
process should be evaluated and where
necessary reformed and streamlined before further funds are deployed
for its operation or any ivory trade proposals are considered by CITES
Parties. MIKE should be removed from the CITES umbrella and undertaken
in an independent manner to provide all those who care about the future
of elephants with the best possible data on which to make their future
decisions.
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