IFAW Opposes Trade in Ivory

The Namibian (Windhoek)
June 14, 2004

Absalom Shigwedha
Windhoek

THE International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) has opposed Namibia's application to Cites to be allowed to trade in ivory.

Namibia has submitted its proposal to the Convention on International Trade of Endangered Species of Flora and Fauna (Cites) requesting to be allowed a yearly quota of ivory sales.

The request will be discussed at 13th Cites conference to be held in Bangkok, Thailand in October.

IFAW's Phyllis Campbell-McRae called on Cites to vote against the re-opening of ivory trade.

She said if rich countries such a Britain cannot control ivory trade within its borders, poor countries with significant elephant populations certainly will not be able to do so.

Campbell-McRae said antique shops in Britain sold carvings made of new ivory that were stained to look old and that in some shops raw ivory was openly sold.

Recently, Dr Malan Lindeque, the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Environment and Tourism, said he believed Namibia "had a strong case, based on scientific information".

However, he was quick to add that Namibia needed to work hard to make sure that it secured the two-thirds votes to enable it to trade in ivory.