Five tons of ivory makes for an impressive bonfire. Timed to mark the first ever African Elephant Law Enforcement Day - a strangely parochial commemoration given that the Asian elephant faces an even greater threat from poachers - the destruction of such a large and valuable stock of ivory sent a strong message to poachers, dealers and buyers who pose such a threat to the wellbeing of the world's largest land mammals. Kibaki lit the paraffin-soaked pile of tusks and carvings - with the prevailing wind in his direction, the septuagenarian president had to quickly jump backwards to avoid the flames.
Poaching continues to endanger elephant populations, with authorities confiscating ivory taken from an estimated 2,600 elephants (of both geographical species) last year alone. It's thought that a lot more of the precious substance evaded law enforcement and ended up in markets in Japan and China, where demand remains high. The market for ivory in China in particular has grown rapidly thanks to the country's economic boom. Ivory figurines and ornaments are prized possessions and can sell for thousands of rands.
Kenya's tough stance on poaching and ivory trading is nothing new and rooted in good economic logic. Tourism is a mainstay of the Kenyan economy bringing in nearly a billion dollars every year. To keep them coming, and spending, Kenya needs to do whatever it can to protect its wildlife. Even former president Daniel Arap Moi, despite his many faults, understood this principle - he lit the fuse on the last ceremonial ivory burning, in 1989, where 12 tons went up in smoke.
But on Wednesday, Kenya wasn't only sending a message to poachers. The country was also celebrating last year's political victory over its greedier - or perhaps just more short-sighted - neighbours, Tanzania and Zambia. The issue was ivory. Tanzania and Zambia both had lots of it; 21 and 90 tons respectively, huge reserves built up from culls and confiscations. And they want to sell. Zambia's stocks would have netted the country somewhere in the region of $40 million. That's a full third of what the country earns from tourism in a year; more than just a chunk of change. Read the full report here.
Source: by Simon Allison, Daily Maverick, South Africa.
