MP Urges Protection of Endangered Species

6.00.00pm UTC (GMT +0000) Thu 19th Feb 2004

Elephant threatened by Ivory Trade

Liberal Democrat MP, Annette Brooke, has called on the Government to oppose the international trade of ivory and to support the conservation of elephants. Nearly 200 MPs from all parties have given their support to Early Day Motion 422 on Ivory Trade.

Following a successful international campaign, supported by many local residents, Annette has written to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) urging the government to oppose the proposed ivory stockpile sales and work as a member country of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species to guarantee elephant protection (CITES).

Commenting on the problems related to the reinstatement of ivory sales, Annette Brooke MP said:

"The renewal of the ivory trade could have unforeseen consequences on the world-wide elephant population, jeopardizing the progress made since 1989."

MPs who signed the EDM fear that the new discussion regarding the re-opening of the ivory trade likely caused the recent increase in poaching and illegal ivory sales. It is believed that that ivory poaching is the main reason Africa's elephant population dramatically decreased from 1.3 million in 1980 to about 500,000 today. Even when legal, 80% of traded ivory was obtained from illegal sources.

It is argued that the proposals to reinstate the sale of stockpiled ivory could have been defeated if the fifteen EU countries had chosen to oppose them, instead of abstaining from the 2002 vote.