The Secretariat of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) released today a report showing a clear increase in the number of large ivory seizures in 2013.
The report, 'Elephant Conservation, Illegal Killing and Ivory Trade' contains the latest figures from the CITES Monitoring the Illegal Killing of Elephants (MIKE) programme and the Elephant Trade Information System (ETIS), and will be discussed at the forthcoming 65th meeting of the CITES Standing Committee.
13 June 2014: The Secretariat of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) has released a report showing an increase in the number of large ivory seizures in 2013. The report, titled ‘Elephant Conservation, Illegal Killing and Ivory Trade,’ contains the latest figures from the CITES Monitoring the Illegal Killing of Elephants (MIKE) programme and the Elephant Trade Information System (ETIS), and will be discussed at the forthcoming 65th meeting of the CITES Standing Committee.
The report identifies monitored sites where poaching is increasing as well as those sites where a decline in poaching has been observed. The report also shows that, for the first time, the number of ivory seizures made in Africa exceeded those made in Asia. Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda accounted for 80% of those seizures. The report highlights that large-scale ivory seizures are indicative of the involvement of transnational organized crime in illicit ivory trade.
John Scanlon, Secretary-General, CITES, emphasized that Africa’s elephants continue to face an immediate threat to their survival, but that due to the collective efforts of so many, there are encouraging signs.
In March 2013, based on the findings of ETIS, CITES identified China, Kenya, Malaysia, the Philippines, Tanzania, Thailand, Uganda and Viet Nam as the most heavily implicated in the illegal ivory trade chain as source, transit or destination countries. CITES took decisions at that time requesting all eight countries to develop and implement National Ivory Action Plans to tackle the elephant poaching and smuggling crisis. These decisions are being put into action through a wide-range of initiatives such as improved protection in the field, stronger customs controls, and better use of modern technologies and forensics, such as DNA testing and isotopes.
At the forthcoming Standing Committee meeting, the roll out of a wide-range of enforcement-related decisions taken by CITES in March 2013 on other species pressured by illegal trade will be considered. These include rhinoceros, Asian big cats, rosewood, pangolins, freshwater turtles and tortoises, great apes, and snakes, as well as a study of the legal and illegal trade in wild cheetahs. [CITES News] [Publication: Elephant Conservation, Illegal Killing and Ivory Trade] [Publication: National Ivory Action Plans] [UN News]