Green Options » ivory auction

Has Tanzania Broken Ranks With EAC Over Elephant Ivory Trade?

Rhishja Larson — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 18:49:23 +0000

Tanzania is reportedly preparing to ask CITES to lift the trade ban on elephant ivory, much to the dismay of its EAC neighbors, conservationists, and members of the tourism industry.

In a move that would surely undermine East African conservation efforts, Tanzania has taken up the position that a sanctioned sale of elephant ivory would provide much-needed financial support to the country’s anti-poaching measures.

This comes as a shock to the East African Community (EAC), considering that last year’s sanctioning of a one-off ivory auction is to blame for igniting a scourge of rampant elephant killings throughout Africa - particularly Kenya.

Government in South Africa Earns Millions in Ivory Auction, Proceeds Go Towards Conservation

Meg Hamill — Mon, 10 Nov 2008 21:53:14 +0000

South African National Parks (SANParks) held a UN sanctioned auction on November 6th, where they sold off 47 metric tons of stockpiled ivory, earning the government conservation agency US$6.7 million.

The auction in South Africa marked the end of a “once-off” sale of ivory approved by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) involving South Africa, Namibia, Botswana, and Zimbabwe. Since October, the four countries have participated in a series of legal ivory auctions and have sold over 100 metric tons of ivory, mainly to Chinese and Japanese buyers. All together, the UN sanctioned auctions have earned about US $15 million.