How safe are the ivory, rhino horn stockpiles in East Africa's vaults?

Originally shared by Environmental Investigation Agency

How safe are the ivory, rhino horn stockpiles in East Africa's vaults?

Conservationists fear that elephant tusks and rhino horns stored in strong rooms and other protected areas in some African countries could be finding their way into the black market, which could complicate the war against poaching.

The worry comes in the wake of a new study by the Save The Elephants organisation, which shows that prices for illegal ivory have increased tenfold in the recent past.

In China, for example, the organisation says the retail prices have increased 13 times between 2002 and 2014 in Beijing shops. The demand, the report adds, is driven by wealthy Chinese buying more carvings made from ivory and whole elephant tusks as status symbol.

The theft of more than a tonne of ivory from the vaults of Uganda’s wildlife protection agency has left conservationists concerned about the safety of seized ivory in elephant range states ...

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* Why does EIA believe in zero trade & stockpile destruction? http://eia-international.org/why-does-eia-believe-in-zero-trade-stockpile-destruction
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“We do not understand why Kenya and other African governments continue to keep stockpiles of ivory. The move only increases the temptation among some security officers and other officials to sell, given the growing demand in Asia,” says Paula Kahumbu, the chief executive officer of WildlifeDirect Kenya, a conservation organisation.

The Environmental Investigation Agency (EIA), a UK-based conservation agency, accused Tanzanian officials of helping VIPs in a Chinese delegation to buy and ship out a massive consignment of ivory during President Xi Jinping’s visit to Tanzania in March, 2013.

Though both the Chinese and Tanzania authorities dismissed the claims as a fabrication of desperate conservationists out to tarnish the reputation of the two countries, some environmental organisations argue that part of the ivory shipped out was stolen from stockpiles held by the East African country.

Full story at http://www.theeastafrican.co.ke/news/How-safe-are-the-ivory--rhino-horn-stockpiles-in-EA-vaults-/-/2558/2586072/-/ojfqjjz/-/index.html

#ivory #elephants #rhino #Africa

Image: Kenya ivory stockpile burning, 2011 (c) EIA