Three countries receive CITES trade bans for failing elephants

Posted on March 19, 2015 by Kevin Heath

Three countries have been placed on a trade ban list for failing to meet their obligations to protect elephants and deal with the rampant illegal ivory trade. Notices were issued today by CITES recommending that signatories no longer permit trade with Nigeria, Laos and DR Congo.

During the July 2014 meeting of CITES tackling the ivory trade and elephant poaching became a pressing concern and a number of countries were listed as not doing enough to halt the trade. 11 countries were ordered to produce and submit national ivory action plans.

These plans had to be submitted to CITES by October 2014. Despite reminders being issued to Nigeria, Laos and DR Congo in January and February this year and the deadline being extended until March 14th no plans have been submitted.

During an inter-sessional meeting in January this year it was decided that those countries failing to meet the 14th March deadline should face trade bans on all CITES species.

The CITES Secretariat have now invoked those sanctions and issued formal notice to all CITES members to enforce trade bans with the three countries.

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Thousands march worldwide for rhino, elephant protection

By Susan Njanji October 5, 2014 3:41 AM

Johannesburg (AFP) - Thousands marched in Africa and around the world to pressure governments to do more to stop the poaching industry that many fear is driving rhinos and elephants to the brink of extinction.

The protests, dubbed the Global March for Elephants and Rhinos, took place in 136 cities and towns across six continents, from Soweto to Nairobi, and Paris to New York and Tokyo.

In South Africa, which is struggling to stem a rhino poaching crisis, demonstrators gathered across 17 cities.

"We are protesting against the political leaders of the world, who do not have the guts and political will to make changes in their laws," Dex Kotze, one of the march organisers, told AFP.

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Concerns raised that South Africa set to reduce protection for elephants

Posted by: Ainsley Hay / posted on September 16th, 2014

At a recent stakeholder meeting called by the Department of Environmental Affairs to discuss proposed amendments to the Elephant Norms and Standards, it became apparent that the Department appears to be intending to remove all welfare-based provisions relating to elephants.

The Department states that it is experiencing difficulties enforcing and implementing the Elephant Norms and Standards. This has been highlighted by the recent civil charges laid regarding the four elephant calves illegally removed from the wild at Sandhurst Safaris, and placed into captivity at Elephants of Eden and now Knysna Elephant Park, an elephant-back safari operator.

The Department is essentially proposing that instead of addressing its shortcomings in enforcement and implementation, it will simply remove the pieces of the law that are being broken. No other concrete motivations have been provided.

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