Stephen Williams' views on the ivory trade

The issue of the ivory trade agreement to allow a one off sale of stockpiled ivory by Botswana, Namibia and South Africa is very concerning. As IFAW (the International Fund for Animal Welfare) highlight, this decision by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITIES) is a tremendous threat to the elephant population in Africa and also puts further pressure on Asian elephants.

Restrictions to ivory trading ought to be as tight as possible to prevent the rise of uncontrolled poaching and black market trading. The more loopholes in any international agreements, the more likely it is that illegal poaching will take place under the guise of legitimacy. If elephant hunting were to increase there is a real danger that the elephant population in Africa and Asia would be dangerously depleted.

I have contacted Barry Gardiner MP, the Minster for Biodiversity, urging him to oppose any planned stockpile sale of ivory.