Governments attending the 18th Conference of the Parties (CoP18)
of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of
Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) faced criticism today over failing
to close their legal domestic ivory markets – while the forum as
a whole agreed to ask such countries to report at the next
meeting on what action they are taking.
A coalition of 30 African elephant range states in favour of
elephant protection strongly criticised the failure of Japan and
the EU to close their markets as recommended at the last CITES
Conference, in Johannesburg, South Africa in 2016. However,
governments at CITES refused to back the call from these African
countries to tighten language in a CITES resolution to
unequivocally call for the closure of all domestic legal ivory
markets. Instead, they accepted a compromise to ask countries
that have not closed domestic markets to report back on measures
they are taking at the next CITES conference.
Matt Collis, IFAW Director, International Policy, and head of
IFAW’s delegation at CITES, said: “We congratulate the many
countries, including China, the US, UK and others who have taken
or announced measures to close their ivory markets. Legal ivory
markets and a lack of action against large illegal markets in
certain countries continue to provide opportunities for criminal
syndicates to traffic ivory.
“We urge countries whose legal domestic markets remain open,
particularly Japan and the EU, to close them as a matter of
urgency, and hope they will be in a position to report back on
such steps at the next CITES conference.”
IFAW believes that, until such markets are shut down, efforts to
end the poaching crisis and stop criminal syndicates from
trafficking ivory, will be frustrated.
Elephants are in crisis with at least 20,000 being illegally
killed each year for their ivory. On average around 55 elephants
are poached every day in Africa; that's roughly one every 26
minutes.
The Conference of Parties (CoP18) of CITES is meeting in Geneva,
Switzerland until August 28.
Proposals to address the listing status of elephants on the CITES
appendices, which will determine if future sales of stockpiled
ivory are allowed or not, are scheduled to be introduced by the
forum tomorrow (Thursday).
During the debate on domestic ivory markets, the EU announced it
would soon be introducing new regulations. Collis added: “IFAW is
pleased to hear the EU intends to come forward with revised
regulations for its ivory market. IFAW has long been calling for
such measures and we await further detail with interest. Any
changes must shut down ivory markets in the EU with all but
extremely limited exemptions, in line with actions taken by other
nations like China, the US and the UK.”
The current EU regulations afford too many opportunities for
criminals to pass off ivory from poached elephants as antiques
and export to other markets around the world.
IFAW works in more than 40 countries, to rescue and protect
animals and their habitats, for a world where animals and people
can thrive together. A team of IFAW experts are attending CITES
CoP18 and are available for interview throughout.
