Africans OK Nine-Year Ivory Ban

But first, countries approve a one-time mammoth sale
By Sarah Levy,  Newser User
Posted Jun 15, 2007 6:30 AM CDT
Africans OK Nine-Year Ivory Ban
An elephant bull drinks water in a swamp at the Kruger National Park in South Africa, Friday, June 1, 2007. Late-night talks among African states failed to break a stalemate on whether to ease a worldwide ban on ivory sales imposed 18 years ago to rescue shrinking elephant herds from poachers, officials...   (Associated Press)

Four southern African countries will hold a one-time sale of 200 tons of stockpiled ivory before the start of a nine-year moratorium, in a hard-fought conservation compromise. Proceeds from the blowout will be used in elephant conservation efforts in the future. "It's the best we could achieve for the African elephant," said one activist.

Wrangling over the deal divided the nations involved; some sought annual sales quotas, while others that rely on wildlife tourism, such as Kenya, backed a 20-year ban. Critics complained that yesterday's agreement, hammered out at The Hague, did little to address the illicit poaching that remains rampant African countries with feckless enforcement. (More Southern Africa stories.)

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