Slaughterhouse: Thailand's ivory trade triples as elephants slide into extinction

[Lite Beer]

Slaughterhouse: Thailand's ivory trade triples as elephants slide into extinction
By Astrid Goh
 

Graphic: Traffic.org

 

BANGKOK: -- World Elephant Day came and went Tuesday, but the slaughter continues.

 

More than 90 percent of the global elephant population has been eradicated and the killing spree is only accelerating. Just last year poachers killed 22,000 elephants, and more ivory was seized than ever before. Tons of ivory are smuggled into Thailand each year, where the ivory trade has tripled during the past year.

 

Due to legal loopholes authorities have left intact, Thailand is one of few places elephant’s treasured tusks can be traded. Perhaps schizophrenically the kingdom reveres the animals yet plays a key role in perpetuating this vicious cycle, playing host to one of the world’s largest unregulated markets for the ivory trade.

 

Follow along as we trace the blood trail from the savannas of Central Africa, where they roam with their families to the cluttered markets of Bangkok, where they're reduced to petty trinkets and sold.


Poaching in Central Africa

Hundreds of elephants are killed in Central Africa by militiamen, where the spoils of poaching fund insurgents and criminal syndicates, according to the World Wide Fund For Nature. The number of endangered species like elephants and tigers are dwindling further as a result.

 

“Many [wild elephant] populations are plummeting towards local extinction … more than 20,000 elephants are estimated to have been killed in Africa in 2013… averaging over 50 elephant deaths [daily],” wrote Naomi Doak, a wildlife trade watchdog with Traffic, in a recent report.

 

Poaching is able to thrive in Central Africa due to its weak government, and the same can be said of the booming ivory trade in Thailand, where calls for the government to reform its loophole-filled wildlife regulations are often brushed aside, with feeble efforts and empty promises made just to appease international onlookers for a short while.

When the gentle giants are poached, they aren’t the only ones to suffer. More than 1,000 rangers worldwide were killed the past decade trying to protect wildlife.

Aside from guarding national parks, some also patrol rivers favored by poachers for transporting their illegal goods.

 

Although elephant poaching carries a three-year sentence in Gabon, many still continue to do so out of poverty. Gabon’s forest elephants are said to be invaluable due to their “pink-tinged ivory," which is highly demanded in Asia. Elsewhere, trafficking rings operate in Cameroon, Chad, Congo and Sudan.

 

To show he meant business in his efforts to curb the trade, Gabon’s president Ali Ondimba burned the state’s entire stock of confiscated ivory back in 2012, which was reportedly worth THB326 million.

“We don’t want our children to inherit an empty forest,” Ondimba said. “For that reason, we cannot allow this trafficking to continue.”

Crossing the seas to Thai markets
But Ondimba’s fire only destroyed a fraction of the illegal ivory circulating the globe, most of which makes its way to Asian markets. Much of it winds up in Thailand, where the carving and selling of “domesticated” local ivory is allowed. Ivory trinkets are easily found at the Chatuchak weekend market, Tha Phra Chan amulet market, Chinatown and also Silom Road, according to Traffic.

Why are they popular? Social status. Being an expensive, illegal product from an endangered animal only heightens ivory’s value.
Despite efforts from the Natural Resource and Environment Crime Suppression Division to combat the crime syndicates profiting from the trade, wildlife trafficking will only curbed if the government takes decisive action.
Suvarnabhumi Airport is an important hub for ivory smugglers.

According to Traffic’s Daniel Stiles, this is due to Bangkok’s “excellent” air connections between African cities and other Asian cities. Furthermore, customs and police officers at Suvarnabhumi are said to take bribes to overlook smuggling.

 

Just last month, a Vietnamese man and Chinese woman transferring through Bangkok from the Ivory Coast in West Africa en route to Siem Reap, Cambodia, were arrested for smuggling African ivory. All 46 kilograms of the tusks and ivory bracelets were estimated to be worth approximately THB9 million, Bangkok Post reported.
Aside from being smuggled in by commercial flights, Doak said larger amounts can be transported through sea ports in cargo, either disguised as another product or hidden in other commodities.

She believes the volume of ivory and scale of the shipments clearly indicate the involvement of transnational crime syndicates, given that tusks are being moved across national borders and even continents.
“It probably involves [a] group organizing the poaching and buying of large amounts of ivory in Africa, and then the transport to Asia where it is then sold to local criminal groups,” Doak said.
 

Local jewelry store vendors can often be found selling ivory items, ranging from necklaces to miniature sculptures. Photo: WWF

 

Although African ivory makes up approximately 80 percent to 90 percent of the worked ivory sold here, a fraction of it comes from domestic tusk pruning. Traffic estimates 650 kilograms of raw ivory comes from domesticated Thai elephants annually, a number Stiles thinks is too high and misrepresents how much is “legally” harvested.

Loopholes in Thai ivory trade laws
Thailand’s legal code not only enables the slaughter of African elephants but harms those in the kingdom as well.

 

With headlines grabbing attention worldwide of elephants poisoned in the dark of night before their tusks are sawed off, international pressure is heaving down on Thai authorities to clean up their act and enact an effective ban on the domestic ivory trade.

 

While the trade of wild elephants is illegal in Thailand, that of “domesticated” animals is not, as the two fall under different laws from 1939 and 1992 respectively.
While calls have been made for both wild and domesticated elephants to fall under the same legislation, no such changes have been raised in the National Assembly.

 

Read More: http://bangkok.coconuts.co//content/slaughterhouse-thailands-ivory-trade-triples-elephants-slide-extinction

 

[cnb]2014-08-13[/cnb]

[EricBerg]

Criminals will never be extinct. But their numbers can be brought back if the chances of them being caught and brought to justice (i. e. prison in this case) increase big time.

 

That goes for the actual elephant butchers as for the others in the trading chain. And that includes the corrupt officials that turn away when bad stuff happens. Taking assets would help too. Then crime will cost them not only freedom but money as well. And greed for money is what thrives almost all those people. Be it ivory traders, bankrobbers, corrupt officials and the likes.

[TallPalm]

Countries should set up schemes for volunteer marshals / rangers to protect endangered species from poachers.  They should be given appropriate training, food and board + they would have opportunity to have an amazing experience whilst doing a praise worthy job.  I'm sure scores of 20+ year olds would sign up for this.

[ratcatcher]

I am afraid I am old fashioned and will take heat for this comment. Poaching gangs and their buyers get the death penalty just like the elephants they slaughter.

Total ban on sale of ivory in stores. perhaps it will be a merciful thing when all the elephants in the wild are gone just like the mammoths and mastodons.

Mankind, with the exception of a few it seems,  has no respect for their environment and the creatures within it.  OK rant over. 

[EricBerg]

I am afraid I am old fashioned and will take heat for this comment. Poaching gangs and their buyers get the death penalty just like the elephants they slaughter.

Total ban on sale of ivory in stores. perhaps it will be a merciful thing when all the elephants in the wild are gone just like the mammoths and mastodons.

Mankind, with the exception of a few it seems,  has no respect for their environment and the creatures within it.  OK rant over.

 

If it's scarce it's worth will raise. A prohibition on ivory may very well have an opposite effect of what you want. Death sentence increases capital crime.

[Johpa]

How can anyone be surprised that with an increase in tourism from China they can document an increase in the number of ivory related products in the local markets?

[RichardThailand]

Pathetic  - I can't think of any other word for a country that allows this.  

 

[lee b]

Sick twisted <deleted> How can this still be going on in this day and age??? After they are all gone what next?? Anything that makes money, sick sick sick

[Luk Mhee]

In some controlled countries in Africa pochers are shot on site.

[justcruisin]

In some controlled countries in Africa pochers are shot on site.
 

Yes indeed, I have a friend who is involved for many years in a game park in Tanzania with South African Black Rhinos. They have about 50Km of 240V electic fence HV on the outside to stop poachers and manned machine gun pits about every 10km facing the fence line..I kid you not as I've seen the photos.

 

Thailand is the major world hub for trafficked for illegal ivory in the world...why but why doesnt the goverment here make it illegal to import. Too much big money invloved?

Shipping to China the main market is done overland with no checks via Laos.

[DrLom]

BANGKOK: -- World Elephant Day came and went Tuesday, but the slaughter continues.

 

When's Childrens' Day again?

[chainarong]

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I am afraid I am old fashioned and will take heat for this comment. Poaching gangs and their buyers get the death penalty just like the elephants they slaughter.

Total ban on sale of ivory in stores. perhaps it will be a merciful thing when all the elephants in the wild are gone just like the mammoths and mastodons.

Mankind, with the exception of a few it seems,  has no respect for their environment and the creatures within it.  OK rant over. alt=bah.gif> 

 

Totally out of control, Thailand is a sham in this area, another topic today is a medical centre for elephants, talk about two faced.

[metisdead]

A post containing comments that can be construed as being negative about the imposition of Martial Law or the Coup has been removed as well as the replies.  Continued comments in this manner could lead to posting suspension, time to re-read this URGENT NOTICE TO MEMBERS.

[ChrisY1]

Nothing will happen..........there'll be the usual talk....new regulations...etc etc......but no convictions....no closing of ivory outlets.....

It's a disgusting business....and it's disgusting that the Thai authorities love ivory!

[Katipo]

Death penalty for anyone involved in this trade. If you make money from contributing to the extinction of entire species, you have no right to a place on this earth.

 

And no, I don't think I am being too harsh.

[graemeaylward]

Wake up Thailand, before the rest of the world starts realising that we are the cause of so much slaughter of the beautiful innocent elephant, and takes action by way of embargos etc. Without the ivory traders, there would be no open market for the murderous poachers! Make ALL ivory trading illegal, even from domestic animals!

[aussieinthailand]

The Chinese are the great consumers of ivory,   and in their ( wisdom )  Thailand will let the Chinese in without visa fee's  ok well how about SERCHING their bags and boxes sent

Where are the sniffer dogs?  where are the people that poach animals?  Oh yeah they get caught they pay under the table and get caught again, and so it continues,  

PUT the poachers in gaol and throw away the key!!!

[jinners]

Shameful. So raids go ahead on counterfeit goods, so the likes of YSL and Chanel get richer. But ivory goods are sold and traded with no cause for concern. Insanity.

[elgordo38]

I am with you Ratcatcher on this one. Retailing ivory items should also be made illegal world wide

[Alwyn]

Look at the chart... I notice a steep rise in sales since the protests started in November, come on General, put a stop to this, this is your watch and it's got worse!

[bangon04]

How can anyone be surprised that with an increase in tourism from China they can document an increase in the number of ivory related products in the local markets?

Not mainly the tourists. This is big business

 

"“We don’t want our children to inherit an empty forest,” Ondimba said. “For that reason, we cannot allow this trafficking to continue.”

 

All he has to do is convince 50 million newly rich Chinese peasants that ivory is not lucky or cool to own after all. Easy really...
 

[uptheos]

The mighty elephant reduced to a trinket.........can anything be more disgusting?

 

 

[Cake Monster]

Thailand is a world hub for poached ivory, along with so many other endangered species of animals.

If you ask any Thai " do you love your country " they will always reply with an enthusiastic " I love my country ", yet some are prepared to rape their country of such fine treasures for a few baht, and its not just for the Chinese market.

An awful lot of these illegal products are sold here in Thailand to the people of Chinese desent.

The few people that do these appalling things to their countries wild life, are an absolute disgrace.

 

[ron moore]

the population of Africa is exploding. the wild elephants are doomed, as is the rino and probably the tiger, and anything else people think will make their diick hard.