Kenya and Tanzania disagree on ivory trade

Lobbying on the status of international trade in ivory has intensified ahead of next month’s 15th Convention of International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) in Doha, Qatar.

African elephants are classified in CITES Appendix I, in which trade is prohibited. Tanzania and Zambia have been lobbying for the elephant to be down-listed from Appendix I to Appendix II, which covers endangered species but in which limited international trade is allowed.

The two countries have been arguing their case about the need to sell off 113 tonnes of their stockpiled ivory to China and Japan. Kenya, however, is vehemently opposed to the limited lifting of the ban on ivory trade, fearful that the move could spur an upsurge in poaching on the continent.

With barely a month to go, both sides have gradually escalated their advances. Kenya has been on the forefront in campaigning for international support ahead of the Doha convention. Tanzania and Zambia have gained the support of the South African Development Cooperation (SADC) countries.

Each side requires the support of at least 66 per cent of the 176 countries that have a vote in the CITES meetings.

African delegation

Assured of the backing from majority of the African states with elephant populations under the auspices of the African Elephant Coalition (AEC) that it co-chairs with Mali, Kenya is aggressively wooing the European Union (EU), which holds 27 votes.

Last month, Kenya and Mali led delegations from 17 of these countries that are opposed to ivory trade to a forum in Brussels to pitch for the support of the EU. Forestry and Wildlife minister Dr Noah Wekesa led the Kenyan team.
In his speech, Dr Wekesa stated that the EU’s lack of clear position on the issue had fuelled belief that it had contributed to the current stalemate.

Dr Wekesa said the uncertainty stemmed from the EU’s support in 2007 for the limited lifting of the ban in ivory trade between southern African countries and China and Japan at the last conference in The Hague.

The EU, then led by Germany, negotiated the deal that allowed a one-off sale of ivory stockpiles held by Botswana, South Africa, Namibia and Zimbabwe, which was to be followed by a nine-year moratorium on ivory trade.
A total of 108 tonnes of ivory were sold off.

In Brussels, the African countries stated: “Before it is too late, the EU must do the right thing and publicly defend the integrity of the CoP14 agreement, having played a central role in mediating the total moratorium for all.”

The statement described EU’s support for elephant conservation as ‘ambivalent’. At the end of the six-day deliberations, the African delegation left Brussels without commitment from the EU. However, Kenya has not rested since.

The Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) has lined up a series of activities aimed at garnering the support of the EU.
Earlier this month, the KWS assistant director in charge of species conservation and management, Patrick Omondi, was in the US to make a presentation on the issue to the House of Representatives committee for natural resources. The presentation was postponed at the last minute due to adverse weather conditions.

The KWS Communications manager, Paul Udoto, said Mr Omondi had instead met technical staff attached to the committee to present the Kenyan case. A game drive-cum-bush breakfast is also planned for envoys from EU and the member countries of the AEC.

Mr Udoto said similar initiatives were ongoing concurrently, spearheaded by the other countries opposed to the lifting of the ivory ban to lobby for support. The AEC wants the European Parliament to put pressure on the European Commission and the EU’s Council of Ministers to back their position.