World Elephant Day – time for global action beyond words

A message from EIA Executive Director Mary Rice on World Elephant Day:

Today is World Elephant Day and around the globe actions and events are taking place to mark the occasion.

(c) Environmental Investigation Agency

While it reassuring that the plight of elephants remains in the public consciousness, the rate of poaching and illegal trade still remains high, with large seizures continuing to be made and consumer markets continuing to grow and emerge.

Tens of thousands of elephants continue to be killed for their ivory annually.

The past year has seen a wealth of high-level meetings and summits to discuss the issue of the growing problem of illegal wildlife trade, with ivory at the top of that agenda. World leaders have made a number of wide ranging commitments, signed their names to declarations and directed resources to tackle the problem at each step of the trade chain.

But the proof is in the pudding, and we need to keep the pressure on to make sure that these commitments are turned into tangible actions with tangible and effective results.

Actions will always speak more loudly than words and we now need to see individuals and organisations worldwide put their money where their mouths are.

Mary Rice
EIA Executive Director