IvoryFreeCanada

More work ahead to change direction from the outcomes of .

A Mixed Outcome from the Conference of the Parties CITES (CoP20) currently being held in Uzbekistan.

While we were relieved to report that Proposal 13—which sought approval for a commercial sale of Namibian raw ivory stockpiles—was REJECTED by a significant majority, we are disappointed and alarmed by the adoption of Proposal 14.

Proposal 14 is a Dangerous Step Back for African Elephants.
Despite overwhelming opposition from conservation groups, Proposal 14 was adopted. This proposal, put forward by Botswana, Cameroon, Côte d'Ivoire, Namibia, and Zimbabwe, introduces detrimental amendments to the Appendix II annotations for African elephant populations in countries like Botswana, Namibia, South Africa, and Zimbabwe, specifically to harmonize conditions for trade in these populations.

This outcome is alarming and validates the serious concerns detailed in our letter to the CITES Management Authority, specifically for the following reasons:

* Undermines the Ivory Ban: The proposal seeks to reduce trade restrictions and facilitate commercial trade in certain elephant parts and products, such as elephant leather, and live individuals. This creates loopholes that directly undermine the global ban on ivory and other products, providing cover for illegal trafficking and risking the reversal of decades of progress.

* Fuels Illegal Poaching: As we detailed in our letter to the CITES Management Authority, any decision that opens the door to potential commercial activity sends the wrong signal to poaching syndicates. Legal sales have historically been shown to stimulate market demand and provide opportunities for laundering illegal ivory and other parts.

* Risks Incentivizing Harm: By monetizing elephant products like leather and easing the restrictions on live animal trade, this decision risks incentivizing dangerous population control measures, including lethal culling, and could facilitate the export of live wild elephants to facilities with poor welfare standards.

* Ignores Extinction Pressures: This action prioritizes short-term political maneuvering over the long-term survival of this vital keystone species. The global population remains critically low at only 415,000 elephants, with poaching continuing to claim an estimated 20,000 elephants annually. This is not the time to introduce loopholes or ambiguity into the legal framework.

The serious concerns raised by conservation organizations—including those specifically noting the enforceability of any eventual trade and the risks of illegal activity—were overlooked in this decision.

IUCN publishes Rewilding Guidelines, a major milestone for conservation. | Alister Scott posted on the topic | LinkedIn Rewilding takes another momentous step into the mainstream! Today, the International Union for the Conservation of Nature produces its Rewilding Guidelines. As the world's pre-eminent body that provides advice to governments and others on the state of nature and its protection, this recognition of t...