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GENEVA / ELEPHANT POACHING
STORY: GENEVA / ELEPHANT POACHING
TRT: 2.17
SOURCE: CITES / UNEP
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGE: ENGLISH / NATS
DATELINE: 13 JUNE 2014, GENEVA, SWITZERLAND / FILE
1. Wide shot, press conference
2. SOUNDBITE (English) John Scanlon, Secretary-General, Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES):
“This is a serious crime. It needs to be treated as a serious crime. And we need to deploy the same sorts of techniques that are used to combat other serious crimes such as illicit trade in narcotics or human trafficking or illicit trade in arms.”
3. Close up, journalist
4. SOUNDBITE (English) John Scanlon, Secretary-General, Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES):
“There were, in 2013, an estimated over 20,000 elephants killed across the African continent. So in 2013 it’s the third year in a row that we have seen over 20,000 elephants killed across the African continent.”
5. Close up, cameraman
6. SOUNDBITE (English) John Scanlon, Secretary-General, Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES):
“However we are seeing for the second year in a row that these sharp upward trends that we’ve seen over the last five or six year have levelled off. We started to observe this in 2012 and we observe it again in 2013. Namely the upward trends that we saw that became very sharp in 2010 and 2011 in terms of levels of illegal killing have started to level off, but at a level that is far too high. Namely, we still have over 20,000 African elephants killed per year.”
7. Med shot, journalists
8. SOUNDBITE (English) John Scanlon, Secretary-General, Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES):
“We need political momentum. We have it but the focus must be in the field and the focus must be on the front line, because this fight will be won or lost on the front line. And by that I mean with field rangers, with park rangers in the field, with customs officers who at the front line at international borders, with prosecutors who are going to take these issues up and prosecute them in the court. And to those who are inspecting illicit markets at the destination end, as
well as reaching out to the consumers who are buying these illicitly traded goods and ensure they know the destructive impact this is having not only on the African elephant but on national security, regional security, economies and livelihoods.”
9. Med shot, journalists
10. SOUNDBITE (English) John Scanlon, Secretary-General, Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES):
“If you illegally trade in ivory it will be found, it will be seized and it will be destroyed. And you will get no return other than jail time and heavy penalties. That’s the message that needs to go out.”
FILE – UNEP - AMBURU NATIONAL RESERVE, RIFT VALLEY PROVINCE, KENYA
11. Various shots, elephants in the wild
12. Various shots, remains of poached elephants
More than 20,000 African elephants were poached across the continent in 2013 according to a report released today by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES). Although the sharp upward trend in illegal elephant killing observed since the mid-2000s, which had peaked in 2011, is levelling off, poaching levels remain alarmingly high and continue to far exceed the natural elephant population growth rates, resulting in a further decline in elephant populations across Africa.
John Scanlon, Secretary-General, Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) said: “We need political momentum. We have it but the focus must be in the field and the focus must be on the front line, because this fight will be won or
lost on the front line. And by that I mean with field rangers, with park rangers in the field, with customs officers who at the front line at international borders, with prosecutors who are going to take these issues up and prosecute them in the court. And to those who are inspecting illicit markets at the destination end, as well as reaching out to the consumers who are buying these illicitly traded goods and ensure they know the destructive impact this is having not only on the
African elephant but on national security, regional security, economies and livelihoods.”
The report also shows a clear increase in the number of large seizures of ivory (shipments over 500 kg) made in 2013, before the ivory left the African continent. For the first time, the number of such seizures made in Africa exceeded those made in Asia. Just three African countries — Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda — accounted for 80 percent of those seizures. Large-scale ivory seizures are indicative of transnational organized crime being involved in the illicit ivory trade.
Scanlon says that tracking down ivory traders is paramount: “If you illegally trade in ivory it will be found, it will be seized and it will be destroyed. And you will get no return other than jail time and heavy penalties. That’s the message that needs to go out.”
Southern Africa continues to hold the lion’s share of Africa’s elephants, holding close to 55 percent of the known elephants on the continent. Eastern Africa holds 28 percent and Central Africa 16 percent. In West Africa, less than 2 percent of the continent’s known elephants are spread over 13 countries.
Poverty (measured by infant mortality rates) and weak governance (measured by law enforcement capacity and corruption levels), together with demand for illegal ivory in consuming nations are three key factors linked to higher poaching levels.
Overall poaching numbers were lower in 2013 than in 2012 and 2011 – but they continue to exceed 20,000. The report warns that poaching levels will lead to continuing declines in the African elephant population.
The report will be discussed at a meeting of the CITES Standing Committee due to take place in Geneva from 7 to 11 July 2014.
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