Ivory trade: Horns of a dilemma

Date: 4 April 2000

Source: BBC

Author: Anon

Delegates are expected to lock horns over ivory question

Ahead of a conference on endangered species, the BBC's Martin Wilson has found evidence of an escalation in poaching and the illegal trade in ivory throughout Africa. Click here to see Ivory Wars.

The international community remains deeply divided over the future of ivory sales.

As delegates from 151 countries prepare to meet in Nairobi for the CITES conference (UN Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species), the row over ivory looks set to dominate the proceedings. Kenya is leading a group of countries who want to see a complete ban on any ivory trade, while Zimbabwe and South Africa are calling for some trade to be approved.

Ivory was to be sold under strict supervision and even then, only to one country, Japan.

The southern African countries say the sale was a success and now want permission to sell more.

However, Kenya says that the sale has stimulated the illegal ivory trade and the illegal killing of elephants.

Paula Kahumbu, scientific adviser to the Kenya Wildlife Service, says that poaching has increased in Kenya's largest national park.

"In Tsavo East, our main stronghold, where 30% of our elephants are, just in the last year alone, we had a five times increase in the amount of poaching. That was purely for ivory," she says.

"We think that the re-opening of the trade in ivory is premature."

Daphne Sheldrick agrees. She runs Africa's only elephant orphanage where there are more orphans than ever before.

Ms Sheldrick blames the poachers.

"The fact that we have 11 now is a result of the escalation of poaching," she says.

"To me, it is indicative of a lot of problems for the elephants."

The Kenyans say that there has been a four-fold increase in the amount of ivory which they have seized over the last year as well as an escalation in the war against the poachers.

Ms Kahumbu believes that any further ivory trade will jeopardise the viability of Kenya's elephant populations.

"In some areas in Northern Kenya where you have got populations reduced to a few thousand, any further pressure on them might prevent these populations growing," she warns.

Zimbabwe's elephant population numbers more than 70,000 - which is three times as many as Kenya.

Simon Moyo, the environment minister and a supporter of ivory trade , says that there is no evidence of an increase in poaching or the illegal trade.

"We are satisfied that the measures we have taken to conserve and preserve the elephant are satisfactory," he says.

"To us, trade in ivory benefits conservation by giving the poor people who live alongside the elephant, or the wildlife as such, a better life," he says.

"And of course also giving them that incentive to preserve the elephant."

Ms Kahumbu has been urging CITES delegates to act responsibly.

"There are supposed to be precautionary principles," she says.

"We are not supposed to be trading in animals. If there is any doubt - and in the case of the elephants - there's huge amount of doubt. "

The European Union has not yet decided which way to vote.

The British Government is pressing for all the proposals to be dropped. That would mean no further trade in ivory could go ahead.

Will Travers of the Born Free Foundation says that Britain holds a pivotal position in Europe.

"If it says it will vote with Kenya, it could sway the whole of Europe," he says.

"82% of the British public want a ban. 129 MPs say they support a ban and numerous African countries say they are concerned.

"It's not just a case of the rich countries telling the rest of the world what to do."