Record ivory seizures point to surge in elephant poaching

As the year draws to a close, TRAFFIC warns that 2011 has seen a record number of large ivory seizures globally, reflecting the sharp rise in illegal ivory trade underway since 2007. This large amount of ivory seizures point to a surge in elephant poaching in Africa to meet Asian demand for tusks for use in jewellery and ornaments, according to TRAFFIC, an international conservation group.

Although official confirmation of the volume of ivory involved in some cases has not yet been registered, what is clear is the dramatic increase in the number of large-scale seizures, over 800 kg in weight, that have taken place in 2011—at least 13 of them.

This compares to six large seizures in 2010, whose total weight was just under 10 tons. A conservative estimate of the weight of ivory seized in the 13 largest seizures in 2011 puts the figure at more than 23 tons, a figure that probably represents some 2,500 elephants, possibly more.

"A conservative estimate of the weight of ivory seized in the 13 largest seizures in 2011 puts the figure at more than 23 tons, a figure that probably represents some 2,500 elephants, possibly more," it said.

The most recent case to come to light was of 727 ivory pieces discovered on 21st December concealed inside a container at the port of Mombasa, Kenya, and destined for Asia.

Over the last 12 months, most large seizures of illicit ivory from Africa have originated from either Kenyan or Tanzanian ports.

“In 23 years of compiling ivory seizure data for ETIS, this is the worst year ever for large ivory seizures—2011 has truly been a horrible year for elephants,” said Tom Milliken, TRAFFIC’s Elephant expert.

Tom Milliken, who is based in Zimbabwe and manages Traffic's Elephant Trade Information System, said 2011 was the worst year for large seizures he had seen in the more than two decades he had been running the database.

The poaching and illegal trade were consequences of China's investment drive into Africa to secure the mineral and energy resources it needed to fuel its economic growth, he said.

"We've reached a point in Africa's history where there are more Asian nationals on the continent than ever before. They have contacts with the end-use market and now they are at the source in Africa.

"This is all adding up to an unprecedented assault on elephants and other wildlife.".

Milliken said some of the ivory that was making its way to illicit markets could be coming from African government stockpiles from previous seizures but the trade numbers and data from other wildlife monitors pointed to a rise in elephant killings.

"The trade data suggest that thousands of elephants are being killed a year … I think central Africa has been brutally affected, especially the Democratic Republic of the Congo," he said.

Milliken said elephant poaching was also taking place in Zimbabwe, Zambia, northern Mozambique, Tanzania and Kenya.

A global ban that was placed on the ivory trade in 1989 was widely credited with stemming a relentless slaughter of African elephants in countries such as Kenya. Occasional auctions from African government stockpiles have since been sanctioned.

Most of the illegal African ivory ends up in China or Thailand, according to Traffic. Ivory is used to make jewellery and art carvings.

Estimates of Africa's elephant population vary widely from 400,000 to 700,000. Some southern African states such as Botswana have large and growing populations and in South Africa swelling elephant numbers have raised concerns that they are damaging the environment in enclosed reserves.

Elsewhere the situation is far more bleak. Poaching is rampant in Congo's lawless regions.

Source:
The Guardian,"Record ivory seizures point to surge in elephant poaching", accessed December 29, 2011
Traffic, "2011: "Annus horribilis" for African Elephants, says TRAFFIC", accessed December 29, 2011
Science News, "Record number of ivory seizures in 2011: WWF", accessed December 29, 2011