Thailand set to destroy seized ivory stockpile

[webfact]

Thailand set to destroy seized ivory stockpile
By Digital Content



BANGKOK, June 27 -- The Thai Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation (DNP) under the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment will consult with concerned agencies on the disposal measures for a stockpile of confiscated ivory.

Acting Director-General of the. DNP Nipon Chotibal said on Thursday that the department has planned the destruction of confiscated elephant tusks to show progress in Thailand’s efforts and cooperation in combating elephant poaching and the illegal ivory trade.

According to Nipon, in order to proceed with the disposal, which will be done for the first time in Thailand, the DNP has sought approval from concerned agencies, both public and private sectors, and non-governmental organizations (NGOs).

The approval meeting will be held on July 8, 2014.

Nipon told journalists that the ivory stockpile, confiscated from illegal traders and poachers since 1992, includes six tonnes of whole tusks numbering around 600, 330 ivory pieces and 2,500 ivory products, worth nearly Bt300 million in total.

Thailand has been known as one of the top entry points for smuggled ivory from Africa en route to China but has not been regarded as taking any real action in solving the issue, whereas China, Hong Kong and the Philippines have shown their cooperative action by burning seized ivory stockpiles previously. (MCOT online news)


-- TNA 2014-06-27

[thesetat2013]

So who s the watgdog that will ensure the ivory is really destroyed. Surely there must be some already thinking of ways to profit from this if people think it has been destroyer?

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[The stuttering parrot]

Why is so much stockpiled?

22 years?

Surely the authorities should have destroyed a lot of this long ago!

[noitom]

why can't they do a few busts, arrests, and prosecutions of Thai Mr. Bigs? Destroying the ivory doesn't demonstrate any intention, will, or desire to stop traffickers. A few high level arrests and hauling off in handcuffs would do better.

[ChrisY1]

300 Mn Thb is not a lot of ivory confiscated over 22 years....and I'm sure that there have been "rats" going through this pile for ages...

[Nickymaster]

So who s the watgdog that will ensure the ivory is really destroyed. Surely there must be some already thinking of ways to profit from this if people think it has been destroyer?

Sent from my GT-S5310 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

non-governmental organizations (NGOs).

[oldgent]

why destroy it ? they should sell it on the market at half price. that would bring down the current price

and maybe deter the smugglers

[MYKTHEMIN]

I agree, such a waste to destroy it, sell it on the open market real cheap to bring down the prices and deture all the smuggling.

[FangFerang]

I have been to three elephant tourist spots. They all sold ivory jewelry.

I wondered at the time....now I am baffled beyond belief.

[Lupatria]

Ok guys, just in case you don't know where to search for more...

[brianP]

Makes me sick to see that. I know there is at least 3 substitutes for ivory, all better and that age with a patina too, and all man made!

[Nuddy]

They could give it all to the museums in Thailand.

Seeing as how it will be totally unavailable eventually the stockpile would make interesting museum pieces.

[BAMBOO13]

Why destroy it, use it as a example and some photos , to show the horrific way man is killing off these magnificent animals!

[Robby nz]

There is legal ivory in Thailand that comes from the elephants that you see in the tourist spots and elephant villages around the country.

The people who keep these elephants do not kill them for their tusks they are far to valuable to them alive, however the tusks are harvested when an animal dies with the tusks registered and what happens to it traced.

This is supposed to be tightly regulated but as with other things corruption comes into play.

What you see being destroyed is imported ivory from wild elephants poached, mostly in Africa but some, unfortunately in Asia including Thailand. This as the OP says is on its way to buyers mostly in china and other places where the word conservation is unknown.

From what I have read I understand there is a difference that can be detected by DNA and other methods.

The tusks you see in the photos at temples and other places will all be very old and from elephants that have died well in the past, quite possibly from the famous war elephants that were ridden by kings and other famous leaders back then.

If this is the case they will have a documented history attached to them and will be considered very sacred.

The present monarch has a royal white elephant :

[soalbundy]

I presume that the elephants aren't still attached

[captnhoy]

When will we see a shakeup of the customs dept?

[bigbamboo]

Why is so much stockpiled?

22 years?

Surely the authorities should have destroyed a lot of this long ago!

You have much to learn, Grasshopper.

[wandasloan]

Very useful. Destroying this ivory will ensure there is never again any demand for ivory.

And there are people in this world who TRUST government.

[soalbundy]

Very useful. Destroying this ivory will ensure there is never again any demand for ivory.

And there are people in this world who TRUST government.

It will just raise the price.As one poster has said already,a better plan would be to sell the ivory at rock bottom prices,or give it away,that would make ivory hunting pointless especially if this was done world wide.

[Robby nz]

Very useful. Destroying this ivory will ensure there is never again any demand for ivory.

And there are people in this world who TRUST government.

It will just raise the price.As one poster has said already,a better plan would be to sell the ivory at rock bottom prices,or give it away,that would make ivory hunting pointless especially if this was done world wide.

Then the cartels which brought it into the country illegally would buy it and sell it on to their original customers at a huge profit, and as it was sold to them by the Government it would then be legal.

Good thinking Max.

[soalbundy]

Very useful. Destroying this ivory will ensure there is never again any demand for ivory.

And there are people in this world who TRUST government.

It will just raise the price.As one poster has said already,a better plan would be to sell the ivory at rock bottom prices,or give it away,that would make ivory hunting pointless especially if this was done world wide.

Then the cartels which brought it into the country illegally would buy it and sell it on to their original customers at a huge profit, and as it was sold to them by the Government it would then be legal.

Good thinking Max.

There would be checks of course and the ivory would only be sold to industries who could prove they could use it in their production, piano keys spring to mind,shouldn't be to difficult.Complaints would come thick and fast from industry if someone tried selling them ivory at inflated prices when they know that they would get it for next to nothing once the gangsters had been caught and their stash recovered.

[Keesters]

Why destroy it, use it as a example and some photos , to show the horrific way man is killing off these magnificent animals!

That's what I thought when I read the headline. Selling it wouldn't work IMO as somebody would buy it all cheap and then put it back on the market at whatever the market price is making a fortune in the process. Surely the animal activists can come up with something better than "DESTROY"?

[Stan7444]

why destroy it ? they should sell it on the market at half price. that would bring down the current price

and maybe deter the smugglers

Why destroy what is a very rare item. Very much against the killing of elephants for any reason, other than age, but since these elephants are already dead, why not honor them by not destroying their tusks? Why burn or destroy ivory like you would a drug which has no intrinsic value?