Zimbabwe’s pitch to reopen ivory trade lobby raises questions

The best of Voices delivered to your inbox every week - from controversial columns to expert analysis Sign up for our free weekly Voices newsletter for expert opinion and columns Sign up to our free weekly Voices newsletter SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. “Most of these countries are using a rate which was set in 2008 and it was quite high at US$167 per kilogramme, but figures have gone down because the countries they are targeting bought the ivory at that time, and they are still consuming the old stock.” The conservationist said the formal ivory markets that countries such as Zimbabwe were targeting are saturated. “Most of these countries have issues with their economies so they are hoping that if they sell, some of the money will go into conservation and addressing human-wildlife conflicts, but they have not told us how they want to use the money in a way that’s transparent and convincing apart from saying they want to sell.” Fulton Mangwanya, Zimbabwe National Parks and Wildlife Management Authority Director General, insisted that ivory was undervalued on the international market. “Countries without species like elephants should not comment about it as long as they are not directly affected because these are issues that we are trying to put across, and we expect the same to be accepted at CITES if we don’t have unnecessary opposition from our brother and sisters’ African states.” A bloc of 28 African countries including Kenya, Gabon, and most West and Central African countries oppose proposals to lift the ban on ivory trade, which they fear would encourage more poaching. “The conference is sending a dangerous signal to poachers and criminal syndicates that elephants are mere commodities and that ivory trade could be resumed, heightening the threat to the species,” the groups said.