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Conservationists' argue that exemptions that continue to allow trade in pre-Convention ivory have resulted in flourishing exports of raw and carved ivory from the EU to China and Hong Kong/FILE

Kenya

EU urged to act firmly on rules governing ivory trade

Conservationists' argue that exemptions that continue to allow trade in pre-Convention ivory have resulted in flourishing exports of raw and carved ivory from the EU to China and Hong Kong/FILE

Conservationists’ argue that exemptions that continue to allow trade in pre-Convention ivory have resulted in flourishing exports of raw and carved ivory from the EU to China and Hong Kong/FILE

NAIROBI, Kenya, Jun 20 – The European Union Environment Council will on Monday be meeting in Luxembourg where discussions around restricting trade in elephant ivory for export and in the EU domestic market are expected to take centre stage.

The EU Action Plan against Wildlife Trafficking, released on February 26 by the European Commission, proposes to further limit trade in ivory within and from the EU” by suspending the export of raw “pre-Convention” ivory – obtained before 1975 – and by guaranteeing that only legal ancient ivory items are traded in the EU.

Conservationists’ argue that exemptions that continue to allow trade in pre-Convention ivory have resulted in flourishing exports of raw and carved ivory from the EU to China and Hong Kong.

“This loophole is feared to fuel demand and facilitate the laundering of poached ivory into legal trade,” said Sally Case, CEO of David Shepherd Wildlife Foundation.

Conservation groups are urging the EU to follow the examples of China and the United States and crack down on the ivory trade by prohibiting all exports and closing the EU internal market.

In March, China acted against this trade by extending a ban on ivory imports to include raw pre-Convention ivory, and on 7 June announced it will release a timetable before the end of 2016 for closing its domestic ivory market.

The United States, meanwhile, has implemented a near ban on ivory trade, to come into effect in July.

“Major ivory markets are closing down while the EU is lagging behind; they should join China and the US in leading this convergence of views,” said Case.

“The EU must walk the talk and abolish ivory trade once and for all, both within and from the EU. Signing declarations calling on the international community to get serious about combating ivory trade is not enough. EU ministers must demonstrate leadership to secure the survival of elephants in Africa and Asia,” added Daniela Freyer of Pro Wildlife.

The EU is by far the biggest exporter of alleged pre-Convention ivory worldwide.

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A recent EU Commission report shows that legal exports of pre-Convention ivory from the EU have increased since 2008, the year that the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) permitted ivory stockpile sales to China and Japan from southern Africa.

Moreover, global seizures of illegal ivory have boomed since 2008 with data indicating that the EU is a transit for poached ivory smuggled from Africa to Asia.

Conservationists’ are calling on the EU to support their initiative and demonstrate its commitment to the world by shutting down its own market before CITES meets in September.

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