More than 100 elephants are killed every day by poachers.
Tomorrow, nations from across the globe will meet at the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) in Doha, Qatar to consider permitting one-off sales of stockpiled ivory. Both Tanzania and Zambia have proposed selling their ivory stocks despite intensive elephant poaching and illegal ivory trade within their countries.
The last time CITES permitted a one-off ivory sale was in 2008, when Botswana, 
Namibia, South Africa and Zimbabwe were allowed to sell a total of 108 tonnes to China and Japan.
From 2008 to 2009, illegal ivory seizures doubled, poaching death rate of elephants grew to nearly 10% and the price of ivory has ballooned to record levels.
Many African nations are pushing to uphold the ban. Let’s send them a stampede of support to save the elephants. Sign the petition below, and ask your friends to as well: https://secure.avaaz.org/en/no_more_bloody_ivory_fb/?vl
A new report released today exposes large-scale illegal ivory trade in Tanzania and Zambia. Both Tanzania and Zambia have proposed selling their ivory stocks despite intensive elephant poaching and illegal ivory trade within their countries.
The report “Open Season – The Burgeoning Illegal Ivory Trade in Tanzania and Zambia” is being released by Environmental Investigation Agency (EIA), a non-profit group based in Washington, DC and London. The report is shocking to say the least.
EIA undercover investigators recently visited Tanzania and Zambia and returned with harrowing first-hand evidence documenting a flourishing trade in illegal ivory in both countries, often exacerbated by official corruption.
Tanzania’s elephant population declined by more than 30,000 elephants between 2006 and 2009, primarily from poaching to supply black-market ivory to Asia. Rampant poaching is concentrated around the Selous Game Reserve where 40% of Tanzania’s elephants are located. In 2009 several major seizures totaling some 12 tons of ivory occurred in Asia. DNA studies from earlier seizures of Tanzanian ivory in Asia has shown that much of the ivory originated from the Selous.
“Time after time, CITES actions to allow supposedly limited ivory sales stimulate a massive escalation in elephant poaching and ivory smuggling all across Africa,” said Allan Thornton, President of EIA. He continued, “The only thing accomplished by these legally sanctioned ivory sales beyond enriching Chinese and Japanese ivory merchants, is to imperil elephant conservation and provide legal market cover for smuggling and laundering of poached ivory.”
Over 20 years ago, CITES passed a worldwide ban on ivory trading. Poaching fell, and ivory prices slumped. We can do that again.
But if Tanzania and Zambia have their way, the worldwide UN ban on ivory trading could be lifted — a decision that could wipe out Africa’s elephants.
From Trip Jennings and the Elephant Ivory Project:
We have a one off chance this week to extend the worldwide ban and repress poaching and trade prices before we lose even more elephant populations.
Across the world’s cultures and throughout our history elephants have been revered in religions and have captured our imagination — Babar, Dumbo, Ganesh, Airavata, Erawan. But today these beautiful and highly intelligent creatures are being annihilated…
As long as there is demand for ivory, elephants are at risk from poaching and smuggling — but this week we have a chance to help stop it.
Sign the petition to save elephants and stop the bloody ivory trade, and pass it on: https://secure.avaaz.org/en/no_more_bloody_ivory_fb/?vl
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