Reasons why Burning of Ivory may not stop Poaching in Africa.

Although the trade in Ivory was banned in 1989, The Killing of African Elephants is disturbingly on the rise.

Elephant killed by Poachers in the Congo Bazin

Last Thursday, 14 November, 2013 the US launched a global Push to fight against illegal ivory trade by crushing dozens of tones of seized Ivory since 1989. This action came a week after Kenya took a bold action to burn to dust, dozens of tons of her seized Ivory stock, from the Illegal trade in Ivory. To Kenyan conservationists, it will be a great thing for Kenya to conserve the Elephants for future generations.Analysts say this action taken by Kenya is a big risk to take, because it puts them to conflict with their neibours in the south who would want to continue the trade.

It is quite striking to note that, despite the efforts put by the US through her reputable organization; US Fish and Wild Life Service (USFWS) (raiding and seizing from shops and art dealers, an estimated One ton of Ivory from African origin during the years 2011-2012.) You can still find today exposed openly good quantities of Ivory in US luxury shops found in Madison Avenue, New York City, San Francisco and many other cities in the US.

Many African environmentalists like Orock Nkongho Becky, an environmental activist, argue that, this burning of Ivory cannot stop poaching, because, The Convention on International Trade for Endangered Species(CITES) is laxed on the control of the laws that they enact. She cited the ban lift in 1999 and again in 2008 parties to CITES voted to allow ivory sales.

US Officials Crushing tons of Seized Ivory

The first sale was of 55 tons to Japan and the second, of 115 tons to Japan and China.  In the wake of the China sale, elephant poaching and ivory trafficking have boomed. In 2011 46.5 tons of illegal Ivory was seized in the US much more heading to Japan and China.

Because of the high demand of Ivory in the Asian market, Centre for International Forest Research (CIFOR) and the World Wide Fund For Nature(WWF), reported about 400 elephants slaughtered in the North Region of Cameroon in March and April 2013.

The fact that the law enforcement bodies in Asia and Africa are inefficient, reporters think that Gabon whose government destroyed 4.8 tons of Ivory last year, Philippines and Kenya whose stocks of illegally seized Ivory were destroyed this year, are making a great mistake. The further explain that, they have to reinforce the laws and prepare to fight poachers rather than burning treasures which could earn fortune to them.

It is quite a regrettable situation that the African Elephant with its massive adaptable body is highly coveted, by the poachers and their sponsors of this trade.

 Would the generations of tomorrow have the chance to see these massive and incredible  elephants?

By Nyoh Israel Bionyi