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Last week the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) Standing Committee, being held in Geneva, met up to decide whether to allow China to become a trading partner for 108 tonnes of stockpiled ivory from four African nations, including Zimbabwe.
The UK, as a member of the Standing Committee, had a crucial vote on this issue. And, despite 150 MPs signing an Early Day Motion urging the government to oppose, surprise, surprise they voted in favour.
Conservationists are alarmed by China’s links to African elephant poaching. Within 22 of the 37 African elephant range states, Chinese nationals have been charged for ivory offences. Recent reports from Africa have shown that elephant poaching is fuelling conflict – it is believed that ivory taken by the Janjaweed in Chad is taken back to Khartoum where it is sold on to China.
We spoke to the International Fund for Animal Welfare about what this decision means for African elephants:
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Why is this decision important?
This was a crucial decision that will effect the future of the world's remaining elephants. Giving China the green light to buy stockpiled ivory spells disaster for thousands of wild elephants.
If these elephants have already been killed, why not trade the ivory?
IFAW believes that any trade in legal ivory stimulates demand and allows illegal ivory to be laundered into the legal stocks. Any trade effectively creates a smokescreen to allow illegal ivory to be sold freely.
What does China want with all this ivory?
As China's economy grows and their population becomes more affluent, the demand for ivory is increasing. In addition, China has the world's largest black market for ivory. Their growing demand for ivory is driving up the prices paid on the black market: they have rocketed by almost 400 percent in the past four years from $200/kg to $850/kg today - a huge financial incentive for criminal traders and poachers.
China's current ivory trade controls and enforcement are woefully inadequate to police the ever-growing large scale ivory trade within its borders. Recent revelations from a document from the Chinese government to the UN has shown that China lost 110 tonnes of their legal stockpiled ivory over a period of 12 years, suggesting that it was sold on illegal ivory markets.
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What can we do?
IFAW encourages the public to avoid buying ivory here in the UK and also when they are on holiday as often ivory items are sold to unwitting tourists who are looking for a memento of their holiday. We also urge them to encourage their friends and family to do the same.
Donate money to IFAW here.
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