This archive report was first published on 31 August 2019.
On August 28, 2019, the 18th Conference of the Parties (CoP 18) of Cites (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora) voted to end the trade of live African elephants, except under special exemptions.
The decision, which came into effect earlier in the week, was hailed by some as a major victory for the conservation of African elephants. However, it was met with fury by southern African countries that have benefited from the sale of elephants and their ivory.
Zimbabwe, Namibia, and Botswana, which have earned millions of foreign currency from the trade, protested the new resolution, calling for exceptions. They argued that they were best placed to manage their elephant populations and that the ban would deny them much-needed revenue for conservation efforts.
According to officials, elephants had become a 'problem animal' in these countries, overpopulating national parks and leading to human-wildlife conflict outside parks. Zimbabwe, in particular, termed the ban a ploy to deny them much-needed cash that would have been ploughed back into conservation.
"We cannot continue to be hamstrung and told what to do with our resources," said Tinashe Farawo, spokesman for Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority. "We cannot continue to allow powerful countries and NGOs to set the agenda when the elephants are ours."
The Cites decision allows for exceptional circumstances under which elephants can be taken from within their natural and historical range in Africa. However, this would require consultation with the Animals Committee at Cites, the IUCN African Elephants Specialist Group, and other stakeholders.
The resolution was passed by a vote of 87 in favour, 29 against, and 25 abstentions. The EU, which had initially rejected the proposal, reversed its stance and voted in favour of the ban on live elephant trade.
