Take Action : Elephants Need Your Help

In June 2007, members of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) will meet to determine how to protect dozens of species that are traded internationally.

Among these proposals are three that will have profound effects on elephants, who continue to be threatened by habitat alteration, conflict with humans, and the ivory trade.

Kenya and Mali have sensibly proposed a 20-year moratorium on international ivory trade (Proposal 6 and Document 53.4) and a ban on domestic sales of ivory (unless the ivory can be demonstrated to be of legal origin, such as antiques) (Document 53.4).

At the same time, even though evidence shows that opening the legal trade in ivory will only increase poaching, the southern African countries want to open the international ivory market even further. Botswana and Namibia have proposed for Botswana, Namibia, South Africa and Zimbabwe to be allowed to export ivory every year (Proposal 4), and for Botswana to export up to 40 metric tones of stockpiled ivory this year (Proposal 5).

ACT NOW!

Use the letter below to urge the Minister of Environmental Affairs (Martinus Van Schalkwyk) not to support the ivory trade.

Please fax it to: +27 (0)21 465 3216
or Email to: mwillemse@deat.gov.za(with a copy to gibson@icon.co.za)

Please make sure to edit the letter—form letters are much less effective than originals.

SAMPLE LETTER

Illegal ivory trade and elephant poaching are at their highest levels since the 1989 CITES ivory trade ban was established. Strong actions must be taken now to bring poaching and illegal trade under control.

I urge the South African government to strongly support Proposal 6 and Document 53.4, submitted by Kenya and Mali, which would place a 20-year moratorium on international African elephant ivory trade.

Additionally, I urge the South African government not to support Proposals 4 and 5 which would allow annual African elephant ivory exports from Botswana, Namibia, South Africa and Zimbabwe and a "one-off" export of stockpiled ivory from Botswana.

Thank you for your attention to this matter.

Links :

National Norms and Standards Schedule for the management of Elephants in South Africa

Elephant Gallery

Click HERE.
Click HERE for a poem for the Elephants.