Representatives
of 25 African countries meeting have adopted a ground-breaking Declaration
demanding a total ban on ivory trade worldwide, The David Shepherd Wildlife
Foundation have reported. The Cotonou Declaration calls
for immediate and decisive action to save the African elephant.
Representatives
from the countries stressed that African elephants are facing the worst crisis
since 1989 when all populations were listed on CITES (the Convention on
International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora), banning
international ivory trade.
As
a result, elephants are being decimated at an alarming rate throughout Africa,
while human lives are being lost in attempts to protect this global flagship
species. Protection was weakened in 1997 and 2000 when populations in four
Southern Africa countries; Botswana, Namibia, South Africa and Zimbabwe were
down-listed to less endangered status to allow two sales of ivory stockpiles in
1999 and 2008. Between 2011 and 2013 alone, more than 100,000 elephants
were killed for the ivory trade.
The Cotonou Declaration
aims to end this crisis by committing to strengthen collaboration between
member States to secure the highest possible protection for all African
elephant populations under international law.
Participants
called for a strict ban on all international and domestic ivory trade,
including re-listing all African elephant populations as most endangered. They
also called on other countries and organisations to support the
proposal.
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