Ivory shops closed down in face of tightened govt measures


File photo. Source Internet

BANGKOK, 28 January 2016 (NNT) – Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation deputy director general Adisorn Noochdamrong unveiled results of an inspection into ivory shops across the country.

Thirteen major ivory shops in Nakorn Sawan province were closed down due to failures to clarify their documents for the possession of the ivory. leaving only 11 others open as usual.

Howver, the Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation will continue to inspect the remaining ivory stores and another 216 shops nationwide within March, he said.


-- NNT 2016-01-28

That there are still 11 shops permitted to sell ivory in any province shows how antiquated are the Thai laws protecting elephants. There should be no legal domestic trade in ivory permitted for any reason. Trade is only permitted in ivory taken from domestic animals but in practice it is very difficult to tell the difference with African ivory, so the latter ends up on the market as well, and that is sourced from poached animals.

I think it said there are also another 216 shops nationwide? Really? Impossible to have that much domestic ivory...as you so rightly pointed out....pure corruption.

......duhh...why are they even allowed to operate.....

Go into any government head official's office here in Thailand and you will see a pair of elephant tusks as shown in that shop window. The Thai government should lead by example. Oh wait ..

Govt Shuts Down Illegal Ivory Shops
By Sasiwan Mokkhasen
Staff Reporter


A Thai customs officer displays seized smuggled African elephant tusks April 17 at Suvarnabhumi Airport in Bangkok. Photo: Narong Sangnak / EPA

BANGKOK — Every ivory shop nationwide must be inspected by the end of March as part of the government’s effort to comply with the international wildlife trafficking agreement CITES, the state-run news bureau reported.

The crackdown by the Department of National Parks resulted in 13 of 24 ivory shops being closed in Nakhon Sawan province because they could not show prove they were legal. Nakhon Sawan’s ivory trade is second only to Bangkok, according to a 2009 report from wildlife monitoring group Traffic.

Since the current ivory trade enforcement effort began last year, four cases have been forwarded to prosecutors. Inspections will continue of the remaining 216 shops across the country.

Full story: http://www.khaosodenglish.com/detail.php?newsid=1453956772


-- Khaosod English 2016-01-28

shut them all down

shut them all down

And release all the captive elephants & tigers too.