Kenya urged African countries last Thursday to stick by a 15-year global ban on the ivory trade, which it says has saved the elephant population across the continent from further decimation. The ivory trade was prohibited worldwide in 1989 after the African elephant population halved to 600,000 in just over a decade. "Even a limited reopening of the trade would signal to the consumer that it was, once again, acceptable to buy, sell, and wear ivory and would stimulate global demand and raise the prices," said Kenyan Vice President Moody Awori.