Zimbabwe: Meeting On Resumption of Ivory Trade Delayed

Source: The Herald

Date: 22 August 2006

Author: Anon

THE six-member committee set up by the Parks and Wildlife Management Authority and the Zimbabwe Ivory Manufacturers Association to come up with a working document to be used in ivory trade, is still to hold its first meeting, thereby delaying the resumption of trade.

The Parks and Wildlife Management Authority suspended trade in ivory last month and said such trade would only resume after the production of a working document by the committee.

Parks spokesperson Retired Major Edward Mbewe yesterday said the committee -- which comprises three people from the authority and the three others from the ivory dealers association -- was still to meet. The authority chairs the committee while the dealers provided the secretariat.

"So far they have not sat, which means the status quo will remain like that. The motive is to iron out differences between the parties and come up with a proper working document before resuming ivory trade.

"As an authority, we do not want to impose things on them (ivory dealers). There is supposed to be agreements between us," said Rtd Maj Mbewe.

The decision to suspend ivory sales was reached at a meeting held between Parks and the ivory dealers, where it was agreed that there was need to put stringent monitoring mechanisms in the control of the domestic ivory market.

It was also agreed that the absence of such a document had given rise to a number of unlicensed dealers who were causing confusion in the industry.

It was also observed, during the meeting, that Zimbabwe had in the past become a major source of cheap ivory and that had negatively impacted on the operations of the industry.