Selvom al handel med elfenben har været forbudt siden 1989, er smuglingen af elfenben til især Kina og Thailand i stigning som følge af organiseret kriminalitet siger rapport fra CITES konventionen.
3 januar, 2013 (WWF): Illegal trade in ivory (elfenben) is at its highest levels in nearly two decades, and 2011 witnessed a ‘major surge’ (større stigning), according to a report released by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES).
The findings, largely based on ivory seizure information submitted by governments, will be presented and discussed at the 16th meeting of the Conference of the Parties to CITES (CoP16) to be held in Bangkok, Thailand from 3 to 14 March 2013.
The report analyses data from the Elephant Trade Information System (ETIS) managed by TRAFFIC on behalf of the CITES member States. ETIS is the world’s largest database of elephant product seizure records, with more than 18,300 cases, representing law enforcement actions in 89 countries and territories since 1989.
2011 det værste år
Analysis of ETIS confirms 2011 as the worst year on record for ivory seizures, with the period 2009-2011 including three of the top four years in which the largest quantities of ivory were seized (beslaglagt) worldwide.
In 2011 alone, there were 17 large-scale ivory seizures (beslaglæggelser)—more than double the highest previous figure of eight, in 2009, and totalling an estimated 26.4 tonnes of ivory. Complete figures are not yet available for 2012.
The report indicates that, following a period of relative stability from 1998 onwards, the global illegal trade in ivory began increasing from 2008 onwards, surging sharply in each successive year and reaching record levels in 2011.
Organiseret kriminalitet spiller en stadig større rolle
“The remarkable surge in recent years reflects the increasing involvement of organized crime syndicates in the illegal ivory trade,” said Tom Milliken, TRAFFIC’s ivory trade expert, manager of ETIS and lead author of the report to CITES.
“Right now, criminals are lining their pockets while Africa’s elephants are paying the ultimate price.”
Large-scale ivory seizures, those involving at least 800 kg of ivory in a single transaction, typically indicate the participation of organized crime. The ETIS data suggest that these crime syndicates have become stronger within Africa and more active over the last decade.
Læs mere her: http://wwf.panda.org/wwf_news/?207191/New-report-confirms-major-surge-in-ivory-smuggling-in-2011
Begynd ved: “Commenting on the critical situation currently facing the African’s elephants…”
Download CITES rapporten her: http://cites.org/eng/cop/16/doc/E-CoP16-53-02-02.pdf
