Thai Ivory Traders Meet To Head Off Sanctions

[webfact]

Ivory traders meet to head off sanctions
The Nation

BANGKOK: -- Ivory industry representatives and wildlife officials yesterday took another step to shake off Thailand's image as the world's second-biggest destination for illegal ivory shipments.

A meeting was held with local ivory-product traders in Chiang Mai to ensure strict compliance with laws. Entrepreneurs from Lamphun and Mae Hong Son also joined in.

Although the ivory trade is legal in Thailand, only the ivory of domesticated elephants is allowed. But last year, a report by Cites (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora) revealed that Thailand was just behind China when it came to smuggled ivory.

The World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), according to the Deutsche Presse-Agentur, on Thursday called for strong economic sanctions against several countries, including Thailand, for their involvement in the illegal ivory trade.

Jongklai Worapongsathorn, the director for wildlife conservation for the Chiang Mai-based conservation area management office, told yesterday's meeting that if the sanctions were imposed, Thailand's trade in many areas could suffer.

"We have exported orchids to the tune of billions of baht each year," he said.

He said because the illegal ivory could fetch more than Bt35,000 per kilogram on the black market, smugglers continued their trade despite the many arrests and seizures by Thai authorities.

According to Jongklai, Thai officials have seized about 10,000kg of illegal ivory from smugglers flying into Suvarnabhumi Airport.

Sermyos Somman, who heads the Chiang Mai-based conservation area management office, which covers Chiang Mai, Lamphun and Mae Hong Son, keeps a watch on the ivory trade.

"From our registration, there are 465 domesticated elephants in these three provinces," he said.

According to WWF Thailand, the sanctions were invoked before in 1991 and it is possible that these economic measures will be used again.

WWF Thailand has said the amount of smuggled ivory to Thailand was up to 11 tonnes between 2009 and 2012. Ivory products, including ivory ornaments, are widely available at Chatuchak Market, amulet shops and hotel gift shops.

A 2008 survey showed eight shops in Nakhon Sawan had more than 7,600 ivory pieces for sale, and 151 shops in Bangkok had more than 12,000 ivory pieces.

Thailand will host the sixth meeting of the conference of parties to Cites from March 3 to 14.

WWF Thailand is calling on Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra to temporarily ban the ivory trade until measures can be put in place that ensure only legal ivory products are sold in the country.


-- The Nation 2013-02-23

[jamhar]

Ivory, Headoff?!!?? Oh' come on!! you cant start a news article title by making a pun!! Thats OUR job!

[Bluespunk]

BANGKOK: -- Ivory industry representatives and wildlife officials yesterday took another step to shake off Thailand's image as the world's second-biggest destination for illegal ivory shipments.

It's not an " image", it's reality!

[akampa]

it is always about money just stop mutulating the elephants and what the f******** has orchids got to to with the elephant ivory trade !

[noitom]

They're on the run! These Thai rogues are running, punting, blustering, skirmishing, and circling the wagons. Leo has them on the run. Turn up the heat Leo. You are right - it needs investigation and visibility. Don't let them smoke you and give you the Thai shuffle.

[chainarong]

One thought that Thailand was a UN signatory to this illegal activity, how silly of me to think this , you can't have Ivory traders if you are a signatory , so whats the call.

[nuananddon]

How about Leo, with all his big Hollywood money, make a trip to Africa and help the poor Africans who are farmers. They work their ground, plant their seeds, watch it grow, and one night a herd of elephants make it their midnight snack and leave them with only elephant shit. I'd shoot every damn one of them too! Let the Africans handle their own business, Leo and the rest of his Hollywood jerks can go F U a rope.

[kjun12]

How about Leo, with all his big Hollywood money, make a trip to Africa and help the poor Africans who are farmers. They work their ground, plant their seeds, watch it grow, and one night a herd of elephants make it their midnight snack and leave them with only elephant shit. I'd shoot every damn one of them too! Let the Africans handle their own business, Leo and the rest of his Hollywood jerks can go F U a rope.

How did you get this brain injury? Drug induced? Bullet to the head?

[tomross46]

Old wine new bottle. I cane here over 40 years ago, and this comes around often, and the government does nothing. To much money into the pockets of influential people.

[bigbamboo]

All those filthy ivory traders in one place. What an opportunity missed.

If only the elephants had known..........

[LuckyLew]

Comon Thailand, you can do it

You can be number one and pass China with a little more effort

[seajae]

How about Leo, with all his big Hollywood money, make a trip to Africa and help the poor Africans who are farmers. They work their ground, plant their seeds, watch it grow, and one night a herd of elephants make it their midnight snack and leave them with only elephant shit. I'd shoot every damn one of them too! Let the Africans handle their own business, Leo and the rest of his Hollywood jerks can go F U a rope.

one should make sure their brain is working before putting their mouth into gear, you really need to understand what you are talking about, obviously you do not. Elephants do not trample the african poors crops, they do go anywhere near civilization, they are massacred by automatic weapons for their tusks, even the babies are mutilated by these <deleted>. If it was just a matter of protecting ones own things this wouldnt happen, next time before making a total fool of yourself make sure of the facts.

[maanoi]

Pretty sure a decent % of the "ivory" sold at markets is actually bone.

[Suffinator]

Let's face it where there's money there's a Thai with his nose firmly in the trough. I've just read a very honest article on meebal, that's dot com, about the Thai Touts using endangered animals, such as the Lori's to make money. Now if this had been a foreign scam the authorities would have been all over it like flies to shit.

I'm going to kick out my Thai staff and keep cockroaches, as they are a far superior species and at least they move quick.

[besth]

Ivory, Headoff?!!?? Oh' come on!! you cant start a news article title by making a pun!! Thats OUR job!

At least they didn't use the word "hub" this time!

The only way to have a chance to reduce the illegal ivory trade is to ban the ivory trade in Thailand completely.

[Chao Lao Beach]

They know who these traders are, they even meet in public, can their just be an electrical fault and burn them all?

[A Member]

BANGKOK: -- Ivory industry representatives and wildlife officials yesterday took another step to shake off Thailand's image as the world's second-biggest destination for illegal ivory shipments.

It's not an " image", it's reality!

I hope the meeting was held in camera as the main item for discussion would have been " how can we look as if we are doing something yet carry on as as usual ? "

[Locationthailand]

The point of their meeting is how to save the collective asses and the money they make every year. There is no motive here other than greed. These traders should all suffer the same fate as the African elephants. In fact I would volunteer to pull their teeth too. As for "nuananddon" I like the Indian movies when someone gets their head stomped on by an elephant.

[Bluespunk]

The point of their meeting is how to save the collective asses and the money they make every year. There is no motive here other than greed. These traders should all suffer the same fate as the African elephants. In fact I would volunteer to pull their teeth too. As for "nuananddon" I like the Indian movies when someone gets their head stomped on by an elephant.

Not so sure I'd go that far but, yeah, I agree, it is a contemptible profession.

[mervyn yap]

I would like to buy ivory traders' teeth.They are cool,can anyone find some for me?

[nuananddon]

This in response to Kjunlz,Kevyn and especially you Seajae. Go to google, type in African elephant/crop damage and spend a few hours reading. Now who is brain dead? By no means am I condoning the poaching of the elephants for their tusks. Other sites also state that African countries that have considered the elephant as a renewable resource have actually saw the numbers increase compared to Kenya where the taking of any elephant is illegal and there the numbers have dropped because of the poaching problem. Basically what I'm saying is let the African countries take care of their own business with sound conservation practices and tell these outsiders(WWF) to mind their own business and if they want anything from them they'll ask. Same. With Thailand they don't need WWF coming in here and making policy for them. Seajae I think you have "Bambi syndrome", have you ever been outside the city limits?

[maidu]

Of course it has to be a farang organization which brings this topic to the fore. Thai officials are incapable and unwilling to police such matters. Whenever there a sting operation or bust, it's always farang who are setting it up. Even if Thais tried to initiate or enforce such laws, someone would secretly inform the bad guys prior.

Poachers in Africa are now sometimes using grenades and automatic military weapons to decimate whole herds. Even baby tusks are taken. In Chiang Rai night bazaar there are baby tusks for sale as we speak. Maybe they're from domestic elephants, but it's still sick. At the Burmese border town of Tachilek, there is at least one stall openly selling endangered animal parts. A Burmese guide there told me he recently had a request from a Brit for someplace which sells monkey skulls.

Edited February 24, 2013 by maidu

[A_Traveller]

For once why could there not be dodgy aircon with Legionella?

[chooka]

BANGKOK: -- Ivory industry representatives and wildlife officials yesterday took another step to shake off Thailand's image as the world's second-biggest destination for illegal ivory shipments.

It's not an " image", it's reality!

I think your missing the point. 2nd place is not good enough. Thailand is after 1st place and HUB status.

[maidu]

What's next week's headline (?): Opium Traders Meet To Head Off Sanctions

The difference between opium traders and illegal ivory traders is; One group peddles a seed pod-derived product which renders users (of its own species) dull headed and lazy. The other group relies on wholesale slaughter of another species - which happen to be large vegetarians who have had their habitat critically and steadily reduced by the rapacious species.

Note; the most common uses for ivory are #1; carved Madonnas cherished by Filipinos, and #2; carved icons cherished by Chinese. There are hard white plastics which could serve that function, and all but a handfull of experts couldn't tell the difference.

Edited February 24, 2013 by maidu

[DLock]

Be seen to do the right thing.

Be heard to say the right thing.

Make an example of a few Patsy's.

...but keep doing what you are doing.

The Thai Way.