ECOTERRA - PRESS RELEASE
Referring to the seizure of 3 tons of illegal ivory in China, please
find below an interview with a top wildlife professional from Kenya.

Please distribute widely and feel free to copy for non-commercial
and education purposes.

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will generously receive permission to do so, if they request it in
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Further background information and pictures available.
(mailto: [email protected])
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THE FUTURE OF THE ELEPHANTS
- We must accept responsibility -

Interview with Dr. Paula Kahumbu - CITES co-ordinator,
Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) - Nairobi / Kenya

ECOTERRA NEWS (ETN) Nairobi 30.09.2002
- by John Bamau

ETN: On Thursday last week, Dr. Kahumbu, the world got shocking
news concerning a shipment of over 3 tonnes of illegal ivory seized by
the Chinese Authorities in Shanghai, which was said to have come from
Kenya. Could you please tell us the details of this criminal case as far
they have bee investigated?

Paula Kahumbu: We only just heard today that on August 30th
Shanghai Custom officials at Waigaoqiao Port seized 3334.6 kgs
of African ivory hidden in imported containers. It is said to have
originated in Kenya, but the Chinese authorities did not inform us
of it at the time. This is one of the largest ivory smuggling cases in
China, and would be the largest volume of ivory seized that
originated from Kenya. The consignment included 64 packages
of smuggled ivory, containing 303 whole tusks and 408 tusks,
which were cut into smaller pieces. The ivory was hidden in a
20 ft container that was declared to have contained wood board
from Kenya. We suspect that the ivory may not have originated
in Kenya as we have not seen a massive escalation of poaching,
and Kenya does not export wood.

According to the Chinese authorities: When an I & E company
tried to claim the goods, the officer from Shanghai Customs at the
Waigaoqiao Port Authorities became suspicious because the
container weight did not tally with the declared contents of 22 m³
of wood. Moreover, the customs officer found that the English
name in the declaration form and the Chinese name in the invoice
did not match. The invoice and packing order looked simple and
incomplete.

When examined with X-ray, dozen of bundles of cylinder shaped
objects were found hidden under the bottom layer of wood boards.
They looked different from the boards shipped in the same container,
so a manual inspection was ordered. After opening the container
inspectors found that under the disguise of wood boards, there was
that huge amount of ivory.

ETN: For most people in Kenya, though they know about the
increased illegal killing of elephants, it seems rather unlikely that
this huge ivory consignment derived solely from elephants in Kenya.
Will you or somebody else conduct in-depth analysis as to where
the elephants where actually killed, from which this ivory originally
derived?

Paula Kahumbu: Such studies are normally very difficult because
the ivory seized outside of Kenya is not accessible to us and
repatriating it would require verifying that it originated in the country.
We also do not have comprehensive DNA libraries of Africa's
elephants, although - given the funds and if the ivory is relatively fresh -
we could establish the source populations.

ETN: Why was the shipment not detected before it left Kenya?

Paula Kahumbu: We cannot answer this until we have conducted our
own investigations to verify that the ivory did indeed come from Kenya
and after we would know the dates, shipping line and details of the
routes taken. It is surprising that timber would be exported from Kenya
as this is illegal and this is why we suspect that even the container may
not have originated from Kenya.

ETN: Surely the case first has to be thoroughly investigated, but
even by just looking at the ivory one usually can tell if it is from
forest elephants or from the savannah subspecies. There seems
to be little doubt for a group of investigators that this consignment
of ivory was smuggled from Congo. If that is the case the elephants
would have been slaughtered for their meat and not the ivory. The
kg of ivory in Congo sells for about U$ 15.-. There is then about
U$ 250.- worth of meat and only about U$ 50.- of ivory on the
average forest elephant. The Central African elephant today seems
to add up to some 90% of all the poached elephants. Stopping the
ivory trade therefore would not stop the killing of the Central
African elephant. What can Kenya and what should the international
community do to help in this situation?

Paula Kahumbu: The illegal killing of many wildife species - including
the elephants - for the increasing commercial trade of bushmeat is a
serious problem in many African states. In Kenya we have
implemented stringent measures and can share our expirence. But
Kenya also requests the parties to CITES to assist the countries in
central Africa to not only develop adeqate laws, but also to give
support for their effective implementation. The Task Force of the
Lusaka Agreement, which was created to combat wildlife crime and
is based in Kenya, must be strengtened in order to likewise assist
those countries and also to help Kenya to combat smuggling of illegal
wildlife products.

ETN: While obviously some international newspapers got their figures
concerning the past and present elephant population in Kenya wrong,
and stated that the population would be down from 45.000 to 450
only, could you please tell us the actual estimates of elephants numbers
in Kenya?

Paula Kahumbu: We protect presently a population of between
25 and 27 Thousand elephants in the whole of Kenya

ETN: What role play indigenous peoples in the protection efforts of
the African elephant within the range states, and do you think their
mandate should be enhanced.

Paula Kahumbu: Indigenous people play several roles which can
be different in different regions. In some they are key informants
as the security of elephants is intimately linked with their own,
KWS is also developing community sanctuaries and conservation
areas that are run by indigenous peoples who derive all the benefits
from the tourism, which is attracted by elephants and other
wildlife.
Culturally elephants are important in Kenya and indigenous
communities keep these traditional beliefs and values alive.
As indigenous people in rural areas become better educated and
informed they will play increasingly important roles in the economy
of Kenya in general and in decisions that determine the fate of all
our wildlife.

ETN: Poverty of the people has been cited many times as the
underlying root cause for the illegal killing of elephants for their ivory.
What hope is there for the elephants, if we like right now face the
largest drought and famine in southern Africa since many decades?

Paula Kahumbu: Elephants are extremely resilient and adaptable,
and they can tolerate changing environments just as well as people
can . It is only in agriculturally productive areas that conflict between
communities and elephants are so severe. In drier areas conflicts over
water are not as serious. Though other sectors of the economy have
declined, tourism has the potential to bring greater benefits to Kenya
especially in these marginal areas. Here elephants will become
increasingly important to local economies.

ETN: How do you link the call by southern African states for renewed
trading in ivory and for the downgrading of the protection status of
the African Elephant as a species within the International
Convention on Trade of Endangered Species (CITES) with the
obviously increased illegal killing of elephants?

Paula Kahumbu: We suspect that there is a tremendous expectation
by some that the ivory trade will reopen and people are already
stockpiling ivory in Africa and in the Asian countries. It may now be
easier to kill elephants and go undetected, and to move ivory before the
trade opens as there is less vigilance at the moment. Once the trade
reopens increased vigilance will make it more expensive to move ivory
around undetected.

ETN: You mean that opened legal trade in ivory actually could reduce
illegal killing and smuggling? Is that a shift in the position of Kenya,
which always was together with India the core pillar supporting the
total ivory trade ban?

Paula Kahumbu: No, I mean that poachers and dealers are taking
advantage of this time period of uncertainty when mechanisms are not
in place to enforce the law or to protect elephants. Under the trade
ban elephants have enjoyed some security and some countries have
become complacent - enforcement and vigilance has dropped off
over the years and ivory prices dropped - so the incentive to poach
also declined. If the ivory trade re-opens, there will be a greater
incentive to poach and deal in ivory, but it will be conducted in a
more secretive manner than now as we will all be on the alert as
it is what we expect.

ETN: If we compile all the population figures on the African
elephant available from the turn of the 20th century, we hold the
big book of the continuous decline of this majestic species in hand.
Surely, due to considerable efforts in some countries like Kenya
the decline did or does get to a hold always for a certain time at a
certain place. But, what holds the future for the elephants?

Paula Kahumbu: Perhaps economists and those involved in
policy development should re-examine the concept of 'value',
especially of the intelligent species such as elephants, apes and
whales. As a species perhaps we should begin to think about the
ethics of trading in elephants teeth to satisfy a demand for trinkets
in countries far removed from the source. Ivory is not essential
to anyone, it does not provide a cure for any disease, nor does it
satisfy starving people. For now, I do not doubt that the
international ban on trade in ivory is essential and critical to the
survival of elephants not only in Africa, but in Asia too.

ETN: In one month time the next convention of the parties to
CITES will be held in Chile. What is an absolute must in terms
of agreements, if there shall be any hope for the elephants?

Paula Kahumbu: No trade in ivory, strict controls on domestic ivory
markets in Africa and Asia, and donor funds for enforcement.

ETN: Please tell us finally about the vision of Paula Kahumbu for
the survival of the African elephant.

Paula Kahumbu: One day we will realize that elephants cannot be
reduced to the value of their teeth. Elephants are and will always
be synonymous with the greatness of Africa.

The future of African elephants will depend on tolerance with people
and greater commitment to devoting land for elephants. It will
require humans to appreciate their special place in nature. We as a
global community must accept a responsibility for the future of
elephants by supporting the creation of large, interconnected,
strictly protected conservation areas throughout Africa where
elephant populations can self regulate. Benefits from these elephants
can accrue to local communities and this way Africa's spectacular
biodiversity can be protected across the continent. One day perhaps,
we will be able to re-open the trade in ivory that is only from elephants
that die from natural causes.

ETN: Dr. Kahumbu, we thank you very much for the clarification, your
statements and vision.

[file-picture: Dr. Paula Kahumbu]
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Copyright (c) ECOTERRA Intl. 2002