African nations on Thursday agreed a landmark nine-year ban on international ivory commerce, which was immediately approved by a 171-nation United Nations forum, officials said.
The ban will go into effect after the one-off sale by four Southern African nations of government-held stock of elephant tusks, thought to total about 50 tonnes, according to NGOs who monitored the negotiations.
The agreement, which comes after weeks of sometimes fierce debate at the 171-nation Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species, was formally submitted by Chad and Zambia ”on behalf of Africa”.
”This African solution to an African problem marks a great step forward for wildlife conservation,” said Cites (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species) secretary general Willem Wijnstekers.
”It is good news for the elephants and the people who live alongside them,” he said.
At stake is the future of the world’s largest land mammal, which once numbered several million.
A century of hunting and poaching — which has increased sharply in the last six years — has reduced the African elephant population to approximately 500 000.
Experts estimate that about 20 000 elephants are illegally killed every year.
The one-off sale would cover ivory stocks in Botswana, Namibia, South Africa and Zimbabwe registered as of January 31, Nithart said.
The sale will go to Japan, the only country authorized by Cites to purchase ivory.
China, however, may also petition to be included in the sale. Cites refused a similar request by Beijing last week, but could reconsider its decision as early as Saturday.
”This is a clear win for elephants and the conservation efforts of all the range states” led by Kenya and Mali, which had originally proposed a 20-year moratorium, said Peter Pueschel of the International Fund for Animal Welfare. — AFP
