Thai Prime Minister Announces End To Ivory Trade

[bluedoc]

Yingluck: "Dear International Community in Thailand, dear WWF and Avaaz, I announce hereby the end of the Ivory trade. If you have any more questions, I'll let my Forestry and wildlife ministries handle with this issue. Problem solved, Have a nice day,... bye, bye..."

And in the mean time, the underground business continues under secret staging grounds...

Got to start somewhere

[webfact]

CITES
Thailand promises end to ivory trade
Pongphon Sarnsamak
The Nation



BANGKOK: -- Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra has promised legal amendments and other measures to stop ivory trade, in response to international calls for Thailand's help.

To over 2,000 representatives of 150 countries at the 16th Meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, known as CITES, she vowed yesterday to end the ivory trade in Thailand. The Kingdom has come under heavy criticism for overlooking the smuggling of illicit animal products, while noting that the country was not a major end-driver of demand.

"Unfortunately, many have used Thailand as a transit country for the illegal international ivory trade," she said, adding that the government is working with both domestic and international organisations to combat international trafficking in tusks.

"The next step will be amending national legislation," she said.

Government officials, scientists and civil activists are meeting in Bangkok from yesterday to March 14 to decide how to improve the world's wildlife trade regime that has been in place for 40 years.

Yingluck said her government has enhanced intelligence and customs operations to control and limit the smuggling of contraband ivory especially from African elephants.

"We are strictly enforcing the legal framework by limiting the supply of ivory products to only those made from domestic elephants, which is legal under current legislation," she said.

PLAN TO INTRODUCE CHECKS

The government plans to register elephants in captivity and ivory shops nationwide to check the quantity of ivory and ivory products stocked and sold in the country. "This will help protect all forms of elephants including Thai wild and domestic elephants or those from Africa," she said.

"I must stress that no one cares more about elephants than Thais and I believe that Thailand will be a strong ally in the fight against illicit trafficking in ivory," she added.

Ivory trade in Thailand is legal. Some traders however use the loophole in smuggling elephant into the country before shipping it to the third country. Thailand has been criticised for not plugging the loophole, which led to massive killing of elephants elsewhere particularly Africa.

Achim Steiner, executive director of the United Nations Environment Programme, said the UNEP's recently launched Year Book reported the world elephant population is declining by over 6 per cent a year and is vulnerable to collapse. In many parts of Africa the slaughter of elephants for their ivory runs at 11-12 per cent of those herds.

"The illegal killing of large numbers of elephants is increasingly involving organised criminal groups and sometimes well-armed militias," he said.

The UNEP has found that more than 450 elephants were killed in Cameroon early last year. Poached ivory is believed to be exchanged for money, weapons and ammunition to support conflicts in the region.


-- The Nation 2013-03-04

[Payboy]

Some traders however use the loophole in smuggling elephant into the country before shipping it to the third country.

I guess the smugglers use jumbo jets.

[noitom]

She makes the announcement, that's step one. Too bad the newspaper never does solid or any kind of investigative journalism needed to smoke out the dealers and Mr. Bigs. Unfortunately, Thailand will run an impromptu campaign on uncertified "shops," but never address the criminal supply network. The 67 "certified" shops doesn't mean that the are not buying and selling illegal ivory.

Thais will make a show and tell effort to garner publicity for their campaign to "crackdown" on illegal shops. This will do nothing to curtail the illegal trade. Many other things need to be done, the least of which is a strong objective press and relentless investigative journalists. Second, all tourists purchasing "illegally acquire or licenses and registered ivory should be fined heavily." That will strike fear in the hearts of the end user community.

But without a free, objective, and professional investigative force smoking out the network relentlessly, these announcements are merely appeasement of wildlife interest groups and Leonardo DiCaprio. Instead of smoking out the illegal ivory poaching and supply networks, the Thais are conning Leo and Carlos Drew.

[stoli]

Yingluck is now going to receive a signed copy of the movie "Titanic" from Leonardo DiCaprio. Unfortunately, we are now going to see him start calling for the ban of soft drinks, hair spray, lipstick tested on monkeys, you know, the important stuff.

[Robby nz]

Yingluck said her government has enhanced intelligence

Must be deeply hidden for it dont show.

But seriously it would be great if something could or will be done bu it remains to be seen.

[chooka]

Wow, very impressive. This is comparable to her brother's announcing that all drug addiction in THailand would come to an end within 90 days, some years ago.

and her deputy promising to wipe out the scams and mafia in 90 days. A very efficient government.

[prvtdetdave]

Rhino Horn, Elephants tusks are certainly strong medicine,

but the strongest medicine and aphrodisiacs are made from the dried testicles of active poachers when taken from them alive.

I of course would hate to let that secret get out as we know what could happen.

[belg]

too much money involved and they would not like to upset their chinese friends that likes to mix the horns into some love potent nonsense

[JetsetBkk]

BANGKOK: -- Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra has promised legal amendments and other measures to stop ivory trade, in response to international calls for Thailand's help.

While I welcome the announcement from Yingluck, there's no need for her to dress up as Superwoman.

[TheGhostWithin]

This is very impressive - I am thinking of jumping over the fence!

Not only has Yingluck and her administration managed to stamp out piracy in Thailand, they have also stamped out fake fashion goods, and now the Ivory trade - all within the past month!

Oh my, I am breaking into a sweat here and starting to have fantasies of this woman of power and success.. uh oh, I just noticed her black teeth and very round hips.. and that they are still selling dvds and Gucci bags up Sukhumvit and Patpong, I guess not everything is as it seems (for those of you who really imagined they even put the bad photos in showing her true physical appearance, "na ka!"..

Yingluck and the Ivory trade within the Kingdom have a lot in common, I gather.

[Buchholz]

Yingluck's obviously got it hard for DiCaprio.

Does that mean Arisaman is out of the picture for her?

.

[blackthorn2005]

This is good news. Soon ivory trading in Thailand will be as illegal as gambling and prostitution.

Maybe they will start trading tourist skins, probably not worth much, as they are not valued when they are alive.