Zimbabwe Requests Temporary Permission to Sell Ivory... What About African Elephants? [Hello? Animal]

Southern Africa's Zimbabwe Faces Financial Struggles as COVID-19 Reduces Tourism Revenue
Zimbabwe Requests One-Time Ivory Sale Permission
Past Ivory Sale Legalization Existed
Challenges in Verifying Poaching and Potential Demand Stimulation

Southern African country Zimbabwe is demanding a one-time sale of elephant ivory, but concerns are rising over mass elephant killings due to the legalization of ivory sales.
[Image source=Pixabay]

[Asia Economy Reporter Yoon Seul-gi] Zimbabwe, a southern African country with the second-largest elephant population in the world, is requesting a one-time allowance to sell ivory from elephants that were either seized from illegal trade or died of natural causes. Facing financial difficulties due to a decline in tourism revenue caused by the large-scale COVID-19 pandemic, the country aims to raise funds for wildlife conservation by selling the ivory.

However, there are considerable concerns that legalizing ivory sales could encourage poaching. Opening the ivory market could stimulate demand and make it difficult to distinguish whether the ivory comes from poached elephants or not, potentially leading to mass slaughter of elephant herds.

Recently, Zimbabwe held a conference to urge a temporary trade of ivory worth $600 million (approximately 758.4 billion KRW). According to Voice of America (VOA) on the 30th of last month (local time), 14 African countries held a four-day meeting demanding the lifting of bans on ivory trade and elephant slaughter, and issued an official statement. These countries plan to present the agreements reached at the conference, including the legalization of ivory trade, at the 19th meeting of the Conference of the Parties (COP19) to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) to be held in Panama this November.

Mangaliso Ndlovu, Zimbabwe’s Minister of Tourism and Environment, emphasized, "Primarily, as an African country, we have a significant number of elephants," adding, "It is important that the ideas and proposals we suggest to CITES, the international treaty on the trade of endangered species, are taken seriously, especially regarding our wildlife products issue."

Minister Ndlovu continued, "Zimbabwe is currently spending a lot of money to store ivory, which is restricted from trade," and said, "We hope CITES can resolve this issue, and if ivory sales are permitted, we believe the proceeds can be reinvested in wildlife conservation." According to Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority, 151,500 tons of ivory and 61 tons of rhinoceros horn are currently stored. Selling the accumulated ivory stockpile could reduce storage costs and allow the funds from ivory sales to be used for wildlife protection budgets.

CITES is a treaty aimed at protecting endangered wild animals and plants affected by illegal trade or international trade. For elephants, commercial ivory trade has been banned since 1989 to prevent population decline. According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), there are currently 415,000 African elephants, with an estimated 100,000 living in Zimbabwe.

Elephant ivory. Photo by Yonhap News Agency

◆ "Allow One-Time Ivory Sale"... Will Exceptions Be Granted?

In the past, CITES temporarily allowed ivory sales to Japan and China in 1999 and 2008. However, these legalizations created loopholes that led to smuggling attempts and increased demand, resulting in elephant deaths.

According to the animal protection organization Humane Society International, in 1999, 49.4 metric tons of ivory stockpiled in Botswana, Namibia, and Zimbabwe were exported to Japan. However, between January 2000 and June 2002, at least 2,563 pieces of ivory and 14,648 ivory-made products or carvings, totaling over 6.2 tons of smuggled ivory, were seized. During the same period, more than 1,059 African elephants were found dead due to poaching.

In 2008, with CITES approval, the governments of South Africa, Botswana, Namibia, and Zimbabwe exported 102 tons of ivory to Japan and China. However, the legal exports further stimulated ivory demand, leading to an increase in elephant poaching in Africa, with 20,000 to 30,000 elephants killed annually.

For these reasons, animal protection groups argue that to protect elephant populations, the ivory market must be completely closed and international trade banned. In 2016, the Kenyan government, which declared a "war on poaching," demonstrated its strong commitment to ending illegal ivory trade by burning 105 tons of confiscated elephant ivory.

Before the burning, President Kenyatta said, "The large piles of ivory before us show our firm resolve," and added, "We will push for a complete ban on ivory trade." Gabonese President Ali Bongo also raised his voice, saying, "If we do not act now, we may lose this magnificent animal."

Kenya, which conducted such a wildlife census, has shown results in elephant population recovery. Compared to 2014, when poaching was at its peak, the elephant population increased by 12% in 2021. The August report of the Kenya Wildlife Census stated, "(The increase in elephant population) appears to be the result of increased penalties for crimes related to endangered species."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.