|
Nigeria,
Ivory Coast and Senegal are ignoring illegal ivory
sales that are fuelling poaching in neighboring
countries, according to wildlife monitors cited
by Reuters.
The 4 metric tons researchers have found on public
display in the three countries represents the ivory
of about 760 elephants, far more than the three
states' combined elephant population.
|
|
In
a report, More Ivory than Elephants in Three West African
Countries, produced by WWF International and TRAFFIC,
a monitoring network, researchers say all three countries
are in breach of international treaties governing trade
in endangered species (Reuters, Dec. 14).
"These
studies show just a snapshot of the problem," said Tom
Milliken, director of TRAFFIC for eastern and southern
Africa. "When we factor in all of the uncontrolled manufacturing,
buying and selling over a year, these numbers climb to
frightening dimensions."
The
U.N. Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species,
or CITES, banned the worldwide ivory trade in 1989 and
lists elephants as an endangered species. It allowed,
however, limited ivory trade in several countries that
already had stocks to dispose of, Associated Press reports.
"Inadequate
legislation and poor law enforcement" have allowed ivory
sellers to flourish, according to the report.
Nigeria,
Ivory Coast and Senegal have nearly wiped out their own
elephant populations. Most of the illegal ivory comes
from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Republic of
the Congo, Cameroon, Central African Republic and Gabon.
Once across the border, tusks are carved into intricate
ornaments and sold to tourists and business travelers
from Europe, the United States and Asian countries, particularly
China and Korea.
In 1980, there were 1.2 million African and Asian elephants
in the world. A decade later, that population had fallen
by half. There are now 500,000 elephants in Africa and
fewer than 50,000 in Asia.
"It
is time that Nigeria, Ivory Coast and Senegal took concrete
steps to effectively implement CITES in their countries,"
Susan Lieberman, director of WWF International's species
program, said (Todd Pitman, AP/Yahoo! News, Dec. 14).
Copyright, National Journal Group, Year
