CITES continues to apply pressure to countries with open domestic ivory markets and strengthens compliance measures for countries with ivory stockpiles. 1. On closure of domestic...
Elephants and Ivory CITES CoP18 Report – Committee II
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South Africa Pushes For Trade In Endangered Wildlife
South Africa, DRC, Namibia and Zimbabwe believe they should be able to sell threatened wildlife species on global markets, just like mass-produced trinkets. The South...
“Answer to South African Parlimentary Question: Noting There Are Approximately 7979 Lions in Captivity in 366 Facilities”
NATIONAL ASSEMBLY (For written reply) QUESTION NO.410 (NW1382E) INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER NO. 7 of 2019 DATE OF PUBLICATION: 26 July 2019 Ms H S Winkler (DA) to ask the Minister of...
Elephants and Ivory Report CITES CoP18 – Analysis of Proposals and Documents
PREVIEW AND OVERVIEW The CITES CoP 18 begins tomorrow in Geneva, Switzerland and runs through 28 August. The CITES Secretariat reports that the 183 Parties to the...
Their Future Is Dark. The Rhino Horn Trade in 2019
The Department of Environment, Forestry and Fisheries Environment House 473 Steve Biko Road Arcadia Pretoria 0083 email: fshaik@environment.gov.za...
Court victory for NSPCA over welfare of captive lions, bone exports
The Gauteng High Court in Pretoria has ruled in favour of the NSPCA regarding the welfare of lions in captivity and how that should affect the setting of an export quota for lion...
Eyes wide shut: Southern Africa’s elephants now in the firing line
A REPORT BY THE ENVIRONMENTAL INVESTIGATION AGENCY Contrary to what the governments of Botswana, Namibia, South Africa, Zambia and Zimbabwe have suggested ahead of the...
Lion Bone Quota – Unlawful and Unconstitutional High Court Ruling – NSPCA vs DEA
Judgment-Lion-Bone-case-6-August-2019-1Download Today's landmark decision was reached in the High Court in the matter NSPCA vs Department of Environmental Affairs. The decision...
Emaciated cubs, freezer full of carcasses uncovered at North West lion farm
Further scenes of animal abuse were unearthed at Jan Steinman's lion farm in Lichtenburg, while the local SAPS fails to act on the charges laid against him by the National...
Big-game hunting group ‘using influence on conservation watchdogs to undermine protections for endangered animals’
Exclusive: Organisation has been heavily involved in Cites and IUCN for up to 20 years, winning campaigns to allow African lions and other species to still be killed. Trophy...
New report highlights continued threat to African elephants from poaching
PRESS RELEASEGeneva, 10 May 2019 – An updated assessment by the CITES programme Monitoring of Illegal Killing of Elephants (MIKE) has confirmed that poaching continues to...
Where wild things are under threat, wildlife trade needs to be dealt with
Tigers rub against a cage fence at a captive breeding centre for large predators at an undisclosed location in the Free State, South Africa, in this undated Before more...
CITES – The trade system that doesn’t know that it doesn’t know
A picture made available Wedensday 22 September 2004 shows young black rhinoceros staring at the camera in this undated file photo. EPA/JON HRUSA CITES, the United Nations...
CITES – Proposals for amendments of appendices 1 & 2 regarding elephant populations of Botswana, Namibia, South Africa and Zimbabwe
CONVENTION ON INTERNATIONAL TRADE IN ENDANGERED SPECIES OF WILD FAUNA AND FLORA Eighteenth meeting of the Conference of the Parties Colombo (Sri Lanka), 23 May – 3 June 2019 Read...
Selling rhino horn: It’s time to ask hard questions about the Department of Environmental Affairs
South Africa is playing a dangerous double game with rhinos and it’s time to ask why. The department doesn’t appear to have a clue how to save them from extinction. Last week the...
CITES lets world’s worst elephant poaching countries off the hook
Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, China, Thailand and the Philippines, some of the world's worst countries for poaching and illegal trade in ivory have been allowed to exit a key...
Taking Stock: An assessment of progress under the National Ivory Action Plan process
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The National Ivory Action Plan (NIAP) process is an important framework. It was developed under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered...
SA’s macabre captive lion breeding industry to be investigated by Parliament
South Africa's unregulated captive lion breeding industry will shortly be reviewed by the Portfolio Committee on Environmental Affairs in a two-day hearing open to the public....
Evidence to CITES shows irresponsible lion bone trade drives consumer demand for big cat parts
This week, we have been taking part in the 70th meeting of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) Animals Committee in Geneva, calling...
China issues permits to trade in the bones of hundreds of leopards
Leopards are Asia’s most trafficked big cat, with more than 4,900 seized from illegal trade in Asia since 2000 – but despite this, new evidence indicates the Government of...
Eastward bound – Analysis of CITES-listed flora and fauna exports from Africa to East and Southeast Asia
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Many people would be surprised to learn that 975 different taxa listed in the Convention of International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and...
The shared nature of Africa’s elephants
Abstract The world's biodiversity is shared by countries that are increasingly recognizing the need for effective responses to human influence and climate change impacts through...
International concern over welfare of wild baby elephants in trade
Cape Town - Regulations governing the extensive trade in wild caught baby elephants require only that they are housed in suitably equipped facilities, in appropriate and...
African Elephant Coalition renews call for global ivory trade ban
European and American conservation leaders today called on governments worldwide to support requests from African nations to end all trade in elephant ivory to safeguard the...
Status of elephant populations, levels of illegal killing and the trade in ivory: A report to the CITES Standing Committee
Introduction Resolution Conf. 10.10 (Rev. CoP17) on Trade in elephant specimens, in paragraph 11, directs the Secretariat, pending the necessary external funding, to: (a) report...
CITES Elephant trophy hunting quotas 2017- 1188 African elephants may be legally hunted in 2017
CITES CITES LISTING APPENDIX COUNTRY DATE NOTES I 13/09/2007 Included in Appendix I, except the populations of Botswana, Namibia, South Africa and Zimbabwe, which are...
The Elephant Trade Information System (ETIS) and the Illicit Trade in Ivory: A report to the 17th meeting of the Conference of the Parties to CITES
Introduction Resolution Conf. 10.10 (Rev. CoP16) mandates “a comprehensive report to each meeting of the Conference of the Parties” from the Elephant Trade Information System...
Do or die – deciding the pangolin’s fate at CoP17
September 28th 2016 will be remembered by many delegates attending CITES CoP17 as a bitter-sweet day for pangolins – an ancient species that has earned the unfortunate label of...
Exposed: The Dirty Secrets of Japan’s Illegal Ivory Trade
Cape Town - New evidence of Japan’s failure to control illegal ivory trading at a time when Africa’s elephants face extinction is revealed in a damning report just released. The...
Op-Ed: Namibia ducks elephant census
Photo: Namibian elephants (Eric Bauer via Flickr) The results of the most comprehensive survey of African elephants ever undertaken – the Great Elephant Census (GEC) announced...
Talks Continue on Closure of Domestic Ivory Markets
Providing analysis at the 17th meeting of the Conference of the Parties (CoP17) of CITES (the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora) in...
Future trade in ivory dealt major blow yesterday; Trade in live elephants on agenda for today
Providing analysis at the 17th meeting of the Conference of the Parties (CoP17) of CITES (the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora) in...
What can we expect from SA at CoP 17?
As the countdown begins to the 17th meeting of the Conference of the Parties (CoP17) for CITES, which commences in Johannesburg on 24 September, conservationists question the...
Sustainable utilisation of wildlife not so sustainable
A comprehensive new review of the threats facing global biodiversity indicates that a popular approach to saving the planet’s wild animals from extinction may be fatally flawed....
World Elephant Day sees worldwide call to burn ivory stockpiles
Hard to image that presently fewer than half a million elephants are left in Africa. This is the reality World Elephant Day, held annually on 12 August, aims to highlight. In...
Why burn Ivory?
The South African government refuses to destroy its ivory stockpile unlike the 25 other countries that have publically destroyed tonnes of ivory to highlight that ivory should...
Trends in levels of illegal killing of elephants in Africa to 31 December 2015 – CITES
Background on MIKE The CITES programme for Monitoring the Illegal Killing of Elephants, commonly known as MIKE, was established by the Conference of the Parties (CoP) to CITES at...
Current rules on commercial international trade in elephant ivory under CITES and Proposals to CITES CoP17
There have been a number of media articles, social media posts and other communications regarding international trade in elephant ivory under CITES. This has resulted in many...
Ivory sales: Fast-track to elephant extinction?
South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia are seeking to overturn a UN ban on ivory trade. If they succeed, it could spell the end for elephants. A United Nations ban on the...
African Nations Call On the World to Help Them Save African Elephants – African Elephant Coalition
The African Elephant Coalition (AEC), comprising 29 African countries, is calling on the world to join them in saving elephants. The Montreux Manifesto, agreed at a meeting of...
CITES Maintenance of the Appendices Decision-making mechanism for a process of trade in ivory
PROPOSAL OF NAMIBIA, SOUTH AFRICA AND ZIMBABWE This document has been submitted by Namibia, South Africa and Zimbabwe.* Background At its 14th meeting of the Conference of...
COP17 ivory trade proposal at risk of repeating 2008 mistake – study
On Heritage Day this year South Africa will be hosting the 17th meeting of the CITES Conference of the Parties (CoP) in Johannesburg which will address the international legal...
Trade rings death knell for Africa’s elephant
A paper published last week by the National Bureau of Economic Research in the U.S.A. holds unequivocally that permitting a legal trade in some wildlife species will be those...
South Africa and Kenya Seek Consensus on Ivory Trade
South Africa and Kenya will hold talks with other African countries to find a common position on ivory trade ahead of the 17th Conference of the Parties of the Convention on...
Swaziland accuses SA of backtracking on rhino horn trade
Swaziland conservation authorities have accused South Africa of reneging on an agreement to propose the legalization of rhino horn trade, which draws into question South Africa’s...
CITES 17th meeting of the Conference of the Parties – Provisional list of proposals for amendment of Appendices I and II
Provisional list of proposals for amendment of Appendices I and II Read the full report here: https://cites.org/eng/cop/17/prop/index.php
Saving Elephants: It’s Not Just About Burning Ivory
Kenya will burn 105 tons of ivory on Saturday 30 April – the largest destruction of ivory in Africa’s history and seven times the size of any ivory stockpile destroyed so far....
Will SA legalise rhino horn trade?
This week, investigative journalist and author Julian Rademeyer revealed that the decision to submit a rhino horn trade proposal to the Convention on International Trade in...
Markets of Death, Part Two: Blood Permits – how cheating officials undermine wildlife regulations
Poachers aren’t the only problem when it comes to wildlife trafficking. Also complicit are the very institutions and rules designed to protect animals, and the people that are...
SA opposes burning of ivory stockpiles
South Africa opposed a resolution that lauded CITES for supporting the destruction of government stockpiles of ivory seized from poachers and traffickers. It asserted that CITES...
Cites reluctant to turn the screws on ivory world’s deadbeat nations – analysis
THE EU has recommended that the conservation treaty organisation Cites enforce an immediate suspension of trade for Angola, Laos and Nigeria. This comes after the three countries...
Summary of the 66th meeting of the Standing Committee of CITES – ENB (Earth Negotiations Bulletin) Reports (news feed) on CITES
SUMMARY OF THE SIXTY-SIXTH MEETING OF THE STANDING COMMITTEE OF THE CONVENTION ON INTERNATIONAL TRADE IN ENDANGERED SPECIES OF WILD FAUNA AND FLORA: 11-15 JANUARY 2016 The...
Trophy hunting stronghold on Africa’s wildlife seeping across to SA
The world's wealthiest hunting organization, Safari Club International (SCI) and professional hunting groups, met behind closed doors with the South African Department of...
DEA and US hunting bigwigs ‘plotting’ the future of SA’s wildlife
Cape Town - American hunters and SA’s Department of Environmental Affairs (DEA) are meeting behind closed doors at a resort near Polokwane on Tuesday to plan the future use of...
KZN Cheetah petting park closed to visitors after attacks
Following attacks on a child and two women by cheetahs at KwaCheetah ‘petting park’ in KwaZulu-Natal, Ezemvelo authorities this week suspended all non-staff access to the...
World Elephant Day: Study calls for domestic trade bans and projects to cut demand for ivory
If you want to save elephants, don’t legalise the international trade in ivory. That’s the message of a major research paper published to coincide with World Elephant Day on...
Emergency declared as elephant poached
Johannesburg - An emergency was declared as the first elephant was poached on the western border of Kruger National Park. Each day in Africa around 100 elephants die at the hands...
New study throws light on South Africa’s Lion bone trade
A new study finds there is little evidence that the Lion bone trade in South Africa is currently adversely impacting wild Lion populations there, but warns the situation needs to...
60% Collapse of Tanzanias Elephants Justifies US Ban on Trophy Imports
The recent announcement that Tanzania had lost 60% of its elephants in just five years as well as Zimbabwe’s continued disregard of international opinion on the capture and...
Will Synthetic Horn Save Or Destroy Wild Rhino Populations?
US based bio-engineering firm, Pembient, is one of three companies that plans to flood Chinese and Vietnamese markets with synthetic 3D-printed rhino horn in an effort to stem...
International Statement sent to the Committee of Inquiry into a Possible Trade in Rhino Horn
To: Ms. M.E. Nana Magomola, Chairperson, Committee of Inquiry Cc: Minister Edna Molewa, Department of Environmental Affairs (DEA) All rhinoceros species are threatened by...
Playing with words while captive lions die
In an article published in the Sunday Times a week ago [May 31], Edna Molewa, the minister of environmental affairs, admonishes conservationists to “put the lid on” what she...
CRISIS MANAGEMENT: WORLD EXPERTS GATHER IN CAPE TOWN TO FIND SOLUTIONS TO RHINO POACHING
Cape Town – At a conference here at the end of May, experts from around the world gathered to discuss responses and solutions to the poaching crisis facing South Africa’s...
SILVER BULLET? THE SOLUTION TO THE RHINO POACHING CRISIS
John M. Sellar OBE, retired head of law enforcement at CITES for 14 years, speaking at the Wildlife in Crisis conference in Cape Town last week believes the only way to stop the...
CITES National Ivory Action Plans
An analysis of ivory seizure data held in the Elephant Trade Information System (ETIS) prepared for the 16th meeting of the Conference of the Parties to CITES (Bangkok, 2013)...
Unmasked: Zimbabwe and the life-threatening sale of baby elephants to China
China is stealing African animals yet again, and covering it up with suspicious paperwork and probably in violation of its own regulations. More than 30 wild baby elephants are...
Rhinos: It’s time for Plan B
In public debates about how to save our rhino, those who advocate ending the ban on trading their horns fail to acknowledge (if you'll excuse the metaphor) the elephant in the...
Elephants in the firing line
The current plight of Africa's rhino population, as disturbing as it is, pales in comparison to a much less widely reported massacre of more staggering proportions. In 1980 there...