Elephants are not Diamonds.
Katarzyna Nowak, Joyce Poole, Cynthia Moss and their colleagues reignite the debate on whether a regulated legal trade in ivory can ever be a mechanism advantageous to elephant conservation.
“…We also urge CITES to be more widely inclusive of a variety of stakeholders, including those who are anti-trade or middle-of-the-road (and who may better represent elephant rather than business interests).
The ivory trade has never and can never be managed sustainably, nor without a total dominance of corruption, this is why we support a total moratorium on ivory sales and the destruction of existing and future stockpiles. CITES member states should have the integrity to put such a ban and plan of action in place – otherwise the entire CITES system risks total discredit.
Meanwhile, China, as a mega-consumer of ivory and many other African resources, has the power to stop its domestic ivory trade. As an emerging super-power, and as a huge investor in Africa, China cannot afford to be held responsible for the destruction of the continent’s heritage into the future”.
Photo: BBC
