Wildlife-trade regulators approve massive sale of ivory

With Protectors Like This ...

The world's only body that can limit trade in endangered species kicked off a 12-day meeting this weekend with one hell of a bang: The Convention on the International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, or CITES, approved the sale of some 60 tons of ivory by three African nations to Japan. That's what the kids call ironical, because one of the proposals the 171-nation body will consider over the next two weeks is a 20-year moratorium on ivory trading, favored by 20 African countries. The group will also look at dozens of other measures, including possible protections for sharks, gazelles, tigers, great apes, and several hardwood tree species. And for the first time, CITES -- which has overseen the international wildlife trade since 1975 -- may consider the impacts of its enforcements on the livelihood of the poor. "You are making policy for the biodiversity of the future," Gerda Verburg, CITES chair and Dutch agriculture and nature minister, told the group. But no pressure.

straight to the source: France 24, Agence France-Presse, Marlowe Hood, 04 Jun 2007

straight to the source: Seattle Post-Intelligencer, Associated Press, Arthur Max, 03 Jun 2007

straight to the source: The Sydney Morning Herald, Australian Associated Press, 03 Jun 2007

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Comments: (2 comments)

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protectors turn into idiots....

I am sorry if this sounds harsh....but I hope everyone of those bastards has their families trampled by an elephant if they vote to allow ivory trading. WIth all the nose poking our government does, I don't know why we allow African NAtions to harbor environmental terrorists in the form of poachers. Now they are going to to try to make it legal. This is a no win situation for everybosy. What we really should do is take all the government leaders and people that want to allow poaching and senseless killing of endangered species for profit....and straight up hunt them like the animals they covet the carcasses of. I don't care if that gets in the way of their "growth", and i don't care about the politics and economics involved. The bottom line is, there are way more people on the planet than some of these animals and we have a responsibilty to protect them from those of us that seek to hunt them without good cause.

by dayve311 at 8:40 PM on 04 Jun 2007

ivory sales

That is just what we need - truly stupid comments based on no information. Ivory and other poaching is stopped by rangers and they cost money. The ivory sale proposed for South Africa is ivory collected by rangers from elephants that die naturally or ivory confiscated from poachers. The funds will go directly to the South African National Parks System to help them protect animals, plants, and ecosystems.

by oldivy at 5:54 AM on 05 Jun 2007

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