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Environmental group welcomes rejection of downlisting proposals

Copyright Mary Rice/EIA

PRESS RELEASE

Doha, March 25, 2010

THE London and Washington based Environmental Investigation Agency (EIA) today welcomed a decision to stop Tanzania and Zambia from cashing in on their ivory stockpiles after it produced clear evidence putting both countries at the heart of a booming illegal global trade in poaching and smuggling.

The decision to reject proposals by Tanzania and Zambia to downlist their elephant populations from Appendix I to the lesser protection of Appendix II and sell stockpiled ivory was taken at the United Nations’ CITES 15th meeting of the Conference of the Parties (CoP15) in Doha earlier this week and formally rubber-stamped today.

The rejection was led by strong opposition from a coalition of 23 African elephant range states amid growing fears about the scale of the illegal ivory trade in both countries. Many African and Asian range states also voiced concerns about the effect that downlisting or one-off sales would have on elephant populations in their own countries.

Recent undercover investigations by the EIA revealed that illegal poaching and ivory trading is rife in Tanzania and Zambia, and raised concerns about widespread corruption, with the likelihood that any legal sale would both stimulate demand and facilitate the laundering of illegal ivory onto the market.

“There is no evidence that sales reduce demand for illegal ivory or benefit conservation. Parties need to focus on tackling illegal trade and corruption, and we look forward to assisting Zambia and Tanzania in any way that we can to help improve the situation,’ said EIA Executive Director Mary Rice.

“To have allowed these sales to go ahead at this time would have flown in the face of all the evidence and dealt a terrible blow to global elephant conservation efforts.

“We are delighted that the Parties considered the evidence from the EIA and other parties, and rejected the applications by Tanzania and Zambia. We firmly believe that ivory sales stimulate and increase demand.”

EIA’s report Open Season: The Burgeoning Illegal Ivory Trade in Tanzania and Zambia documents secret film of traders and ivory dealers discussing how they smuggle ivory in and out of the countries, using bribes to secure the agreement of officials.

Both Tanzania and Zambia had applied to move their elephant populations from Appendix I – the highest level of protection – to Appendix II, and sought permission to sell a total of 112 tonnes of stockpiled ivory to China and Japan. A recent study from the UN-backed Panel of Experts concluded that the origin of much of the stockpiled ivory could not be verified, raising the likelihood that poached ivory could infiltrate the international market.

CITES last permitted a one-off ivory sale in 2008, when Botswana, Namibia, South Africa and Zimbabwe were allowed to sell a total of 108 tonnes to China and Japan.

The following year saw a global surge in seizures of illegal ivory – with Tanzania deeply implicated in the bloody trade as the source of almost half of the 24 tonnes captured – in sharp contradiction of the argument which claims that sales satisfy consumer demand, deflate the price of ivory and so reduce the threat of poaching.

The full findings are contained in Open Season: The Burgeoning Illegal Ivory Trade in Tanzania and Zambia. See below to download a copy.

Interviews are available on request: contact EIA Executive Director Mary Rice at maryrice@eia-international.org or telephone 0207 354 7960 / 07810 640532.


EDITORS’ NOTES

1. The Environmental Investigation Agency (EIA) is a Non-Government Organisation based in London and Washington that investigates and exposes environmental crime.

2. The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Flora and Fauna (CITES) appendices are lists of animals and plants afforded different levels or types of protection from over-exploitation.

3. Appendix I lists those species deemed most endangered. They are threatened with extinction and CITES prohibits international trade in specimens of these species except when the purpose of the import is not commercial, such as for scientific research, when trade may be allowed if authorised by both an import permit and an export permit (or re-export certificate).

4. Appendix II lists species not necessarily threatened with extinction at present but which may become so unless trade is closely controlled. International trade in specimens of species listed in Appendix II may be authorised by the granting of an export permit or re-export certificate. No import permit is necessary under CITES. Permits or certificates should only be granted if the relevant authorities are satisfied that certain conditions are met, above all that trade will not be detrimental to the survival of the species in the wild.

5. Appendix III lists species included at the request of a Party that already regulates trade in the species and needs the cooperation of other countries to prevent unsustainable or illegal exploitation. International trade in specimens of Appendix III species is allowed only on presentation of the appropriate permits or certificates.




Environmental Investigation Agency
62-63 Upper Street
London N1 0NY
UK
www.eia-international.org
Tel: +44 207 354 7960
Fax: +44 207 354 7961



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FILE DOWNLOADS

IVORY SALES VETO ‘THE RIGHT DECISION’ PDF File [1.27 MB]   DOWNLOAD

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