Legal ivory auctions must be stopped and China stripped of its Approved Buyer status if the rising tide of elephant poaching is to be curbed. We call on governments that supported the sale of stockpiled ivory to accept responsibility and take steps to reverse the harm it has done to global elephant populations
A briefing to CITES Standing Committee arguing that one-off sales of stockpiled ivory have actually stimulated the illegal black market trade and poaching, rather than stem them. Among our recommendations, we urge the Standing Committee to withdraw China’s status as an ivory trading partner with immediate effect
As nations prepare to meet to consider allowing one-off sales of stockpiled ivory, this report exposes a booming illegal trade in poaching and smuggling in the very countries seeking the lucrative relaxation
Report on how enforcement measures must be strengthened and implemented as a matter of urgency if the illegal trade in ivory is to be tackled effectively. The sophistication and scope of organised crime syndicates far outweigh the capacity and resources of many enforcement agencies, particularly in developing countries
A report on how demand for ivory products is on the rise, poaching in elephant range states is being driven by resurgent market demand in several Asian countries. A catalogue of seizures in 2002, including the seizure of over six tonnes in Singapore, provides stark evidence of a renewed threat to elephant populations
A report into how the first CITES-approved ivory sale led to an increase in elephant poaching In 1997, CITES Parties voted to down-list the elephant populations of Botswana, Namibia and Zimbabwe, followed swiftly by a supposedly one-time only sale in 1999 of stockpiled ivory to Japan