Nations meet to discuss elephants as poaching crisis intensifies

According to the International Fund for Animal Welfare’s (IFAW- www.ifaw.org) representative at the meeting, EU Campaigns Director Peter Pueschel, “This meeting presented us with the perfect opportunity to discuss the way forward for elephant conservation initiatives. However, instead of engaging on how we can address the continued slaughter of this highly endangered species, we are hearing from Zambia about plans to push for more trade.”

Pueschel also noted that while the EU was in strong support of the ivory moratorium, representatives did not speak up on the floor to reinforce the need for the ban. “It is disappointing to the majority of African elephant range states, 21 of which formed the African Elephant Coalition just over a year ago in order to stand united against the ivory trade.”

Patrick Omondi, head of species conservation at Kenya Wildlife Service and the country’s representative at CITES, continued, “The African Elephant Coalition is opposed to any elephant trade proposal discussions until after the nine-year ivory trade moratorium. It is clearly against the spirit of the ban to have these discussions now.

“The aftermath of last year's ivory stockpiles sales has been an undeniable surge in poaching in countless African elephant range states, including Kenya, and an increase in ivory smuggling across the world. It is abundantly clear that sending legal stocks back into the marketplace only stimulates poaching and illicit trade.”

Among several other seizures, seven tons of ivory was recently confiscated in Vietnam which was reported to have originated from Tanzania. A number of poaching incidents throughout Kenya have also been widely publicized in recent months.

“Measures must be taken which will preempt the attacks on our elephants. Stemming the slaughter of our most valued wildlife heritage must mean supporting on-the-ground initiatives such as anti-poaching patrols, general park operations and community education and outreach. Without this, the elephants do not stand a chance," concluded Omondi.