Several Southern African nations recently submitted proposals to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species asking it to once again allow world trade in ivory. Ivory trade was banned in 1989 after widespread poaching had reduced the number of elephants from an estimated 10 million in 1900 to an estimated 600,000 in 1989.
Botswana, Namibia, South Africa, Zambia and Zimbabwe all applied to have the ban on the ivory trade overturned permanently.
In part, the ivory ban is a victim of its own success. Widespread poaching has all but disappeared and, as a result, elephant populations have increased markedly. In some areas the number of elephants now exceeds the carrying capacity of the protected wildlife preserves. In South Africa’s Kruger National Park, for example, the optimal population is 7,000 elephants, but there are now more than 9,000 elephants in the park.
Other governments also face similar problems where they will have to start killing elephants in order to prevent the elephants from harming other species.
Supporters of the ban insist that if it is lifted widespread poaching will inevitably return. The proposal will be considered at the CITES convention in Chile next November.
Sources:
Push to reopen trade in ivory. Michael Dynes, The Australian, June 14, 2002.
African states fight ban on ivory trade. Michael Dynes, The Times (London), June, 13, 2002.
Bid to overturn ban on ivory sales. Gaia Vince, NewScientist.Com, June 14, 2002