THAILAND: Democratic Republic of Congo urges Asian countries to send confiscated ivory back to its country of origin for data and study purposes

Record ID: 182303

  • Title: THAILAND: Democratic Republic of Congo urges Asian countries to send confiscated ivory back to its country of origin for data and study purposes
  • Date: 7th March 2013
  • Summary: SAMUTPRAKARN PROVINCE, THAILAND (FILE - JULY 7, 2012) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF THAI CUSTOM OFFICIALS DISPLAYING SMUGGLED IVORY AT SUVARNABHUMI AIRPORT VARIOUS OF CUSTOM OFFICIALS PACKING SEIZED AFRICAN IVORY IN BOXES
  • Embargoed: 22nd March 2013 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Thailand
  • Country: Thailand
  • Topics: Crime,Environment,Politics
  • Reuters ID: LVABT5MWV27XGWTXO9ZAG1NO4DIN
  • Story Text: The forest minister of the Democratic Republic of Congo on Thursday (March 7) urged Asian nations to send confiscated ivory back to its country of origin for data and study purposes.
    Henri Djombo, the minister of forest economy and sustainable development, made the plea at a news conference at the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) held in Bangkok, Thailand.
    "We would like to invite all south east Asia countries to send all seized African ivories back to the country of origin," said Djombo.
    He said the Democratic Republic of Congo currently has 5,000 confiscated tusks from 2,500 African elephants which may be destroyed in the future.
    He warned that African elephants were now facing the risk of extinction with only 400,000 left in the wild in Africa.
    "We are convinced that an absence of demand for ivory in the Asian market will help considerably to decrease crime against wildlife in Africa," said Djombo.
    He added that true commitment and cooperation between countries would help in the battle to combat ivory poaching.
    "We believe that it is important to negotiate with Asian countries that consume ivory in order that they implement the international law concerning this illegal trade," he added Animal NGOs said China was a big market for ivory to which African tusks were smuggling via Thailand.
    Thailand allows its nationals to trade in ivory from elephants that have died of natural causes inside its borders. But animal activists say the system is abused and ivory from Africa and elsewhere is "laundered" through the country.
    Thai ivory is supposed to be certified, but according to animal NGO Schaedla, this involves an easily forged slip of paper that the government does not bother to track, meaning African ivory can easily enter the market.
    Wildlife trade monitoring network, TRAFFIC, estimates the country's elephant population and the natural death rate would provide only 8.4 kg (18.5 pounds) of ivory per year for each registered carver.
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