Plan to register ivory items to stop slaying of elephants
Janjira Pongrai
The Nation



BANGKOK: -- The Natural Resources and Environment Ministry is considering a pardon for people who possess ivory and ivory products to encourage them to legally register the items.

It also proposes amending ministerial regulations to make African elephants protected under Thai wildlife laws, so Thai officials can punish people who smuggle African ivory into the country more harshly.

Natural Resources and Environment Permanent secretary Chote Trachu joined a meeting yesterday to discuss solutions for protection of some 3,500 wild elephants in 68 protected areas, the issue of hunting for ivory or baby elephants, the conflict between wild elephants and people (damaging crops in forest-border farms), and the trade in domestic elephants' ivory.

Chote asked about a possibility to pardon those now holding ivory and ivory products to allow them to legally register the items, as this topic would be among measures proposed to the prime minister.

Many influential figures including politicians possess ivory products. If the pardon and registration were in place, it would help the authorities see the overall picture and better control the ivory in the country, Chote said.

The meeting, concerned this could be a loophole for ivory smuggling and difficult to implement, suggested it be made a Cabinet resolution to set guidelines for implementation with the National Parks Department.

Chote would propose the suggestions - along with a plan to tackle elephant and ivory trade issues - to the PM next month.

Other short-term solutions included more intense patrolling of elephant-hunting risk areas, probes into elephant parks with wild elephants registered as domestic elephants, a DNA database for wild elephants, and an elephant food fund to pay compensation to farmers whose land was invaded by wild elephants.

Meanwhile, Thai authorities have called for the registration of domestic elephants until June, to efficiently implement the new elephant ID card system. As of last December, 3,202 domestic elephants were registered on the new system, which also has a requirement to report elephant death/ivory removal in seven days and harsher punishment for elephant abusers to a two-month jail term and Bt8,000 fine (previously 10 days in jail and a Bt50 fine).


-- The Nation 2013-04-24

<deleted>!!! Lost for words!! ............ How bout just a total ban on the ivory trade??? Oh hang on.... Many influential figures including politicians possess ivory products.
If the pardon and registration were in place, it would help the
authorities see the overall picture and better control the ivory in the
country, Chote said.

What does registering already culled ivory have to do with preventing trade in the product?

Just ban the business.

The Thais are "planning," they are blustering and puffing. They are trying to figure out how to appease Brigitte Bardot and Leonardo DiCaprio to get them off the elephant case.

<deleted>!!! Lost for words!! ............ How bout just a total ban on the ivory trade??? Oh hang on.... Many influential figures including politicians possess ivory products.

If the pardon and registration were in place, it would help the

authorities see the overall picture and better control the ivory in the

country, Chote said.

The Thai way of solving problems always seem to involve the words " pardons " or " amnesty "

What about local elephants, are they going to mark every tusk with a unique identification that can be sanded off anyway. An elephant DNA base, LOL, next they will say a national data base of disqualified drivers. Mind you that might be easier because I don't think there are many, probably outnumbered by elephants

PM Yingluck told us indirectly at the recent international meeting, that she could not care less about elephants., and had no intention to do anything to save them. At least she seems to stick to her promise!

That would be better than winning the lottery. Give all the influential people and the politicians a pass jail card. After they declare their ivory, they can always say "oh, this is the old stuff, I declared it already". Why do authorities need an overall picture of what is around, carved images or whatever. This is just a trick, for all politicians with a ton of hidden ivory, to now declare it and get away with it.

Now I'm waiting for something like this in the mailbox:

Dear Ivory collectors,

After long exhaustive research, the Natural Resources and Environment Ministry finally found out how much tea money could be generated from a new registration scheme. Don’t worry, after the registration procedure which comes with a feasible fee, you can keep your precious toys even if they were purchased and smuggled into the country illegally.

Keep on collecting, it’s legal now.

Best regards

your Natural Resources and Environment Ministry the preserver of environment and wildlife

No surprise here, just the typical, sickening actions of an immoral and unethical people that can never face up to responsibility.

Money number one.

PM Yingluck told us indirectly at the recent international meeting, that she could not care less about elephants., and had no intention to do anything to save them. At least she seems to stick to her promise!

could you give a bit more info on that?

What meeting?

and why would the Prime Minister say (at an International Meeting) that she has no intention of doing anything about Elephants?

is this in Print?

or is it something we have to believe from you?

(coz its a MASSIVE statement)

i mean: i'm sure that she doesn't care about it. BUT TO SAY IT IN PUBLIC (i find hard to believe)