DUBAI -- The UAE became the first Arab country to destroy its
ivory stock when it destroyed over 10 tonnes of raw and crafted confiscated
elephant ivory this morning in a powerful symbol that these pieces have no
value and are driving the current slaughter of elephants.
The event was hosted by UAE Ministry of Environment and Water and
organised in conjunction with Dubai Municipality, Dubai Airports, Dubai Customs
and International Fund for Animal Welfare.
The stockpile, confiscated over the years as part of the country’s
efforts to control the illegal trafficking of wildlife species, was destroyed
during a special ceremony in Al Qusais, Dubai, attended by Dr. Rashid Ahmed Bin
Fahad, Minister of Environment and Water, as well as representatives from
various government agencies involved in the Convention on International Trade
in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, CITES, delegates from regional
non-governmental organisations and deputies from embassies who participated in
the London and Botswana conferences on the illegal trade of wildlife species.
The Minister praised all parties and associations involved in this
national initiative, commending competent environmental authorities, the
Ministry of Interior, customs authorities and the International Fund for Animal
Welfare for their efforts in combating the illegal trafficking of wildlife.
He also emphasised the importance of consistency and cooperation
between the involved parties, the country’s progressive technical and human
capacities, as well as the development of efficient communication channels at
the national and international levels. The last point is particularly crucial
in relation to UAE, as the country represents an important link in the movement
of international trade due to its geographical location.
Bin
Fahad said, "The destruction of the confiscated ivory stockpiles in the
state is in compliance with the values of the UAE and multilateral
international conventions, particularly CITES, and the commitment to actively
contribute to international efforts to conserve biodiversity and protect
endangered species."
He also noted the strict standards for the trade of endangered species,
as stated in the Federal Law No. 11 of 2002, on the regulation and control of
International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora and its
executive regulations.
The
Minister added that efforts to control the illegal trafficking of wildlife
species are not limited to elephants, but include all Endangered Species of
Wild Fauna and Flora which are listed by the convention.
He also explained that the amount of ivory confiscated in UAE and
other countries is indicative of the life-threatening reality that elephants
face and the prevalence of illegal hunting which has overtaken natural birth
rates in recent years, according to international research. The international
community has responded through the establishment of conferences tackling the
illegal trafficking of wildlife species held in London and Botswana in 2014 and
2015, respectively, where the UAE played active roles.
In a special statement on the occasion, John E. Scanlon, the
Secretary-General of CITES praised the efforts of the UAE Ministry of
Environment and Water, which serves as the Management Authority of CITES.
"I
would like to express my sincere thanks to the Government of the United Arab
Emirates, and to the Dubai Municipality, for inviting me to witness the
destruction of more than 10 tonnes of confiscated elephant ivory and I regret
that I am unable to make it to Dubai in person," said Scanlon.
He added that despite considerable efforts to combat wildlife
crime, it continues to be a major problem worldwide. The poaching of African
elephants and the illegal trade in their ivory is one of the most noticeable
and destructive forms of wildlife crime.
"Over the past 24 months we have seen a number of countries,
including Belgium, Chad, China, France, Gabon, Hong Kong SAR of China, Kenya,
Philippines, and the United States, destroy stockpiles of illegally traded
elephant ivory that has been seized and confiscated," he said, adding,
"Today’s important event in Dubai serves to raise public awareness about
the impacts of illegal elephant ivory trade and the determination of the United
Arab Emirates and the global community to put an end to it.
"However, when coupled with the seizure of ivory and
prosecution of offenders, it sends a powerful message that the United Arab
Emirates does not accept and will not tolerate this illegal trade or the
devastating impact it is having on the African elephant, on the livelihoods of
rural communities, and sometimes on national and regional security.
"This recognition of wildlife crime as a serious crime gained
further momentum thought the recently adopted Doha Declaration at the 2015 UN
Congress on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice.
"The
guidance provided by CITES Resolutions is that the illegally traded and
confiscated elephant ivory should be restricted to four uses only, namely,
‘bona fide scientific, educational, enforcement or identification purposes’.
Where this is not practicable, two options are provided by the Resolution,
namely to save the specimens in storage or to destroy them.
"However, when a country, such as the United Arab Emirates,
takes a decision to publicly destroy its confiscated stockpiles of elephant
ivory, I do believe it presents a unique opportunity to draw public attention
to the scale, nature and impacts of the serious crimes that lie behind these
confiscations and to act as a deterrent to illegal trade.
"I congratulate all concerned for their vigilance and
encourage the relevant Authorities to investigate the source and destination of
the ivory to enable follow-up enforcement actions," the Secretary-General
concluded his statement.
In a similar message, the International Fund for Animal Welfare, IFAW,
also lauded the UAE's decision to destroy the confiscated ivory.
"IFAW strongly encourages governments to destroy all their
stocks of ivory. Each year, between 25,000 and 50,000 elephants are killed for
ivory, which means 1 elephant killed every 15 minutes," said Dr. Elsayed
Mohamed, Regional Director IFAW, Middle East and North Africa.
"IFAW is applauding the UAE decision and we are
encouragingother Middle East countries to join the UAE in taking a stand
against the ivory trade." He added.
UAE is
the first Arabian country to crush its ivory stocks, following the recent
footsteps of the United States, China, UK, France, Belgium, Hong Kong,
Ethiopia, Gabon and Kenya, which burned or crushed its ivory stockpiles.
The demand on ivory is fueling illegal ivory trade. Seizures of
illegal ivory in the world continue to increase: 24.3 tonnes in 2011, 30 tonnes
in 2012, and 41.5 tonnes in 2013. Just last week, Security officials at Dubai
International Airport have handed over 84 African elephant pieces in transit
from the Ivory Coast to Vietnam. The amount was seized last month.
In 2012 and 2013, Dubai Customs seized shipments contain 474 tusks
of illegal ivory at Jabel Ali port. In 2014, authorities seized 301 pieces of
ivory at Dubai International Airport, which also saw the seizure of 1,500 ivory
products and tusks during the years 2011-2014.
IFAW applauded UAE authorities for their continued success of
efforts to combat illegal ivory trade and to address the challenges that
threaten elephant conservation.
Starting on 15th May 2015, transit passengers at Dubai
International Airport will learn that ivory smuggling leads to prosecution. The
advertising campaign will be launched by the International Fund for Animal
Welfare in collaboration with the Ministry of Environment and Water, Dubai
Police, and Dubai International Airport.The campaign will run until 3rd June.
The advertising campaign will be also displayed at Abu Dhabi
International Airport in collaboration with Ministry of Environment and Water,
Abu Dhabi Police, and Abu Dhabi International Airport.
As part
of an international initiative aimed at strengthening the capacity to fight
this trafficking, IFAW trains law enforcement officials on the prevention of
illicit trafficking of wildlife species in several countries in Africa, the
Middle East, Asia, Oceania, and the Caribbean. IFAW recently signed a
memorandum of understanding with INTERPOL, the first ever signed with an NGO by
the INTERPOL programme on environmental crime. IFAW and INTERPOL have
collaborated on many projects since 2005, including last year’s largest ever
international operation to fight against ivory trafficking. -end-
No comments:
Post a Comment