|
THE HAGUE—Government
delegates today approved a compromise document to deal with the highly
contentious continent-wide debate over the future of elephant
conservation and the international sale of elephant ivory.
After two weeks of intense deliberations, closed-door meetings, and
Ministerial interventions, Parties accepted a plan to allow sale of
current ivory stockpiles from Botswana, Namibia, South Africa, and
Zimbabwe, while instituting a moratorium on further ivory trade for a
period not less than nine years following the sale.
“The message must be heard
across the planet today—by ivory poachers and profiteers
alike—that CITES decision-makers have tired of the divisive
debate over elephant ivory,” said Will Travers, CEO of the
Born Free Foundation and Chairman of the Species Survival Network.
“Although we’re surely disappointed that the
controversial stockpile sales have been allowed, we are thrilled that
the Parties listened to the dozens of African elephant Range States,
united under Kenya’s and Mali’s strong leadership,
and have finally agreed to an ivory trade moratorium.”
The deal, struck in middle of the
night Wednesday, opens a new chapter in the ongoing, decades-long ivory
debate under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered
Species (CITES). The ivory trade ban, which achieved such
significant improvements in the security of elephants in the early
1990's has been the subject of sustained, deliberate long-term erosion
for the last decade. Travers, commenting on the discussions, said,
“Negotiations have been protracted and relentless and, while
both sides can claim success, the acid test will be the impact on
Africa’s most fragile elephant populations.”
Notwithstanding the efforts of various
African Elephant Range State Dialogue Meetings to reach consensus, the
debate thus far has divided Africa with a small number of the most
highly developed African elephant Range States strongly arguing for
relaxations in the trade ban, and a large number of under-resourced
African elephant Range States with vulnerable elephant populations
arguing for sensible continent-wide conservation programs.
Parties have broadly agreed since 1997
to maintain the global prohibition on a continuous legal ivory trade,
yet have relented under significant pressure to allow limited sales
from verified ivory stockpiles. Members of the Species Survival
Network, however, expressed continued concern over these stockpile
sales, as it is hard to say exactly what the cumulative impact of the
approved trade has been and will be on elephants.
Mary Rice of the Environmental
Investigation Agency asked, “Will the stockpile sales
approved at this COP be a green light to the poaching community and
organized crime, or will the resting period truly deliver to
Africa’s elephants an era of stability and security and
increased wildlife law enforcement?”
However, it remains unclear as to what
the “resting period” will mean in reality over
these nine years. The compromise document states there will
be no consideration of proposals for trade from countries with elephant
populations already on Appendix II of the Convention. This,
therefore, only applies to Botswana,
Namibia, South Africa and Zimbabwe. SSN wonders whether this
means that any of the other 30 or more African countries with elephants
can continue to apply to have their population downlisted to Appendix
II and submit ivory trade proposals.
“Sadly,” Travers
concluded, “I have a sinking feeling that we shall still be
debating ivory trade proposals throughout the resting
period—despite what I believe to be the intention of Parties
that this should not be the case.
However, we hope that the countries with elephants still on Appendix I
will respect the spirit of the decision taken today by the Parties and
resist the temptation to seek ivory trade.”
The SSN and its members nevertheless will continue their commitment to
respond positively to the needs of African Elephant Range States and
the elephant conservation challenges they face. It must be hoped that
the resting period, so many have worked so hard to achieve, is full of
elephant conservation action to the benefit of real conservation.
For more information contact:
Adam
M. Roberts, Press
Officer,
In The Hague: 06-5213 6798
Globally: 1-202-445-3572
E-mail: press@ssn.org
WORLD FORUM CONVENTION CENTRE
10, Churchillplein NL-2508 THE HAGUE
|
