Australia called on to do its bit for elephants
AUSTRALIA CALLED ON TO DO ITS BIT FOR ELEPHANTS
Two Year Anniversary Of Promise To Ban Ivory Trade.
This World Elephant Day, Born Free has joined Humane Society International and International Fund for Animal Welfare to call on Australia to pull its weight in the global effort to save elephants from further risk of extinction. This August marks two years since Australia promised the international community it would close down its domestic ivory and rhinoceros horn markets, yet they remain open for business.
Demand for ivory is driving elephant poaching across both Africa and Asia, and there are serious concerns that elephants may become extinct within just a few decades. The African forest elephant has been declared as Critically Endangered, and both the Asian and African savannah elephant as Endangered, according to assessments made for the Red List of the IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature).
The UN Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) has banned commercial trade in elephant ivory across international borders since 1989 but, more recently, in order to ensure the ban is effective and to protect elephants everywhere from the scourge of poaching, all countries with a domestic market contributing to poaching or illegal trade have also committed to close down domestic trade within their borders with urgency. Australian federal, state and territory governments need to work together to make this happen without further delay.
Gabriel Fava, Born Free’s Senior Policy Advisor, said: “China, the UK, Singapore, Taiwan, Hong Kong and the US have all either legislated or are in the process of legislating against their domestic ivory trade. The pressure is on countries like Australia, New Zealand, Canada and Japan to follow suit”.
Humane Society International, Head of Campaigns, Nicola Beynon said: “African elephants lost 96% of their populations in the last century and rampant ivory poaching is continuing in this one. If elephants are to survive this century, every country has to do their bit. Australia must not be a loophole in the global effort to stamp out the ivory trade”.
Rebecca Keeble, Oceania Regional Director, International Fund for Animal Welfare: “Australian governments are committed to clamping down on the domestic trade in ivory and rhino horn. Now they need to move from words to action and legislate. The iconic elephant’s conservation status cannot afford any further delay.”
The conservation organisations are calling for timetabled commitments to introduce legislation to ban trading in ivory and rhino horn in every jurisdiction in Australia. We hope to be able to celebrate World Elephant Day on the 12th August for many decades to come.
Image © www.georgelogan.co.uk