Contrary to what the governments of Botswana, Namibia, South Africa, Zambia and Zimbabwe have suggested ahead of the 18th Conference of the Parties to CITES, poaching and ivory trafficking continue to pose a very real threat to elephant populations in Southern Africa.
Following discussions on the serious threats posed by the big cat trade and policies in China which serve to perpetuate it, 71 MPs and Peers have now called on the UK Government to support strong action to save big cats
The National Ivory Action Plans (NIAP) process under CITES is a framework developed in response to the elephant poaching crisis continuing in Africa. The NIAP process is a very useful initiative which, if implemented properly, should contribute significantly to reductions in elephant poaching and illegal trade in ivory
Failure to take any meaningful action against identified networks and individuals has led to international Vietnamese syndicates operating with impunity. Illegal ivory, rhino horn and pangolins are entering Vietnam at alarming rates, accelerating declines in populations of elephants, rhinos and pangolins
The UK Government has published its Bill on the ivory trade today, only seven weeks after announcing the results of its consultation on the issue. The Bill will now start its progress through Parliament and we will be encouraging MPs to give it their full support so it can become law as soon as possible
We strongly welcome today’s announcement by the Rt Hon Michael Gove MP, Secretary of State for the Environment, of a comprehensive ban on the ivory trade in the UK. The huge response to the Government’s consultation on its proposals demonstrated how important it is to the British public