 |
| Kenya Wildlife Services officer with confiscated ivory |
The recent decision at the cites meet to
prevent Tanzania from selling its ivory stockpile worth $20 is a step in the
right direction.
Had Tanzania been given the nod, not only would
this have endangered the county's jumbos but those of neighboring countries
like Mozambique and Kenya as well.
The recently released Briefing Report of the
Panel of Experts on Ivory Trade on March this year by London and Tanzanian
environmentalists, notes that Tanzania is the largest ivory trader in Africa on
a scale surpassing China.
Tanzania has been reported as having a thriving
illegal ivory trade which has lead to poaching at it game reserves like the
Selous in southern parts of the country.
Additionally, large amounts of tusks from the
country have been intercepted en-route to East, who are the world largest users
of ivory products.
With the alarming poaching of the Jumbos the
trading ban should be implemented to help save the Tuskers from extinction.
Wildlife should not only benefit corrupt big cats but all citizens in the
region.
Thus effects
of allowing trade would spill over to the region considering that elephants
roam freely from say Kenya's Maasai Mara to Tanzania's Serengeti national
parks.
Besides, the lack of tight security in the
region as well as porous borders would encourage smuggling of tusks.
the only way to save the elephants from
extinction is by adhering to the ban on ivory trade.
This calls for concerted efforts from all
nations around the globe. Wildlife is not meant to benefit corrupt big cats
only, but all citizens in the East african region.
Published on Thursday, April 1, 2010 by The
Standard/Kenya
published
by The EastAfrican april 5-11, 2010 Available online at SaveTheElephant
Posted too by A Mozambique news site mznoiticas
No comments:
Post a Comment