Elephants and rhinos can breathe a sigh of relief. The demand from Tanzania and Zambia to sell their ivory reserves was also rejected by Cities. After making their proposal during the UN international conference on biodiversity underway in Doha, the two states appealed to the judgment of the Cities (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Wild Species).
He is about to end up run over, his mother saves him Elephants and rhinos can breathe a sigh of relief. The request for Tanzania and Zambia for the sale of their reserves of ivory was also rejected by Cites. After making his proposal during the UN international conference on biodiversity underway in Doha, the two states have appealed to the judgment of the Cities (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Wild Species).
But let's take stock. At first, Tanzania e Zambia they had requested a special permit from the UN for the one-time sale of their reserves of ivory (respectively 90 and 22 tons for a figure of 20 million dollars). Protests from environmentalists were immediate, according to which the two African countries would do nothing to limit the poaching and elephant hunting. Strong protests have also arisen from other African countries, including Kenya. The government of Nairobi, together with that of 23 other African states, in fact requested the definitive stop to the traffic of ivory, still regulated by a moratorium for the next 20 years.
What Tanzania wanted was precisely theexemption from this moratorium, citing in its favor the growing number of elephants within its territory. According to Tanzania, in fact, since 1989 the elephant population has risen from 55 to about 137.
But there are no glimpses from the UN. The US and EU front, assisted by the other African states, is compact. No exceptions for the requests of the two states. Also there Cites, Conference of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Wild Species, gave his Not definitive alla questione. However, before closing the debate definitively, one will have to wait for the plenary session of the CITES, which will take place tomorrow in Doha.
The elephant can still hope well, unlike the bluefin tuna, whose fate is now sealed.
Francesca Mancuso
