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(Doha)--Zambia has withdrawn its
request for the sale of stockpiled ivory during the debate over its
proposal to the 15th Meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the
Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna
Flora. This ensures that the Meeting will not allow trade in any
elephant ivory.
"The Parties have made it quite clear
that there should be no trade in elephant ivory," noted Will Travers,
CEO of the Born Free Foundation and President of the Species Survival
Network. "Any legal trade in elephant ivory incentivizes elephant
poaching and illegal ivory sales. Intelligent elephant management
dictates that the species be protected from trade in tusks. It's just
that simple."
Despite the removal of the ivory
provision, Zambia still tried to downlist its population of African
elephants from Appendix I to Appendix II and failed in a vote of 55 in
favor, 36 against, 40 abstentions.
"Downlisting would have sent a
horrible message to poachers and criminal syndicates Africa," Travers
added. "I am relieved that Zambia's revised proposal did not succeed,
and this view is shared by the majority of African elephant range
states."
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