Delhi: Three Chinese nationals were arrested in Kenya for trying to smuggle illegal ivory products, a Kenyan news website reported. The arrest was made at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, from where the “tourists” were to return to China with about 2.2 kg of ivory that was seized from them.

The incident occurred on the same day that the CITES, despite conservationists’ opposition, approved China as an ivory importing country. The arrest of the Chinese nationals is a grim reminder of the possible consequences of the decision. China is the world’s largest illegal ivory market. The possession of ivory products here is looked upon as a symbol of affluence.

The recent CITES ruling will allow China to bid for the 108 tonnes of ivory put up for sale by four African countries. Whether or not, China can outbid Japan, the sole importer in the first stock pile sale, remains to be seen. Even if it does, it is questionable whether the quantity available will be sufficient to satiate the Chinese demand.  According to a study in 2004, by the Elephant Trade Information System (ETIS – a monitoring tool of the CITES), the demand in China was solely responsible for the upsurge in illegal ivory trade across the world since 1995. Prior to this, there was a steady decline in ivory trade following the ban by CITES in 1989, the study reported.

Additionally, the competitive bidding will increase the price of legal ivory making it dearer for the dominantly middle-class consumers. This rise in the price of legal African ivory will jeopardise the safety of the more endangered Asian elephants. Lower transportation costs and cheap acquisition methods used by poachers would provide illegal Asian elephant ivory at cheaper rates, increasing its appeal and demand.

A report by International Fund for Animal Welfare on the study in the illegal wildlife market in China established the lack of conscience among consumers; most, openly declared that they would “willingly violate the control system to obtain ivory at a cheaper rate”. Inefficient trade control in China and also in the source countries, and the difficulty in differentiating illegal ivory from the legal supply will facilitate laundering, argue conservationists. All these factors combined could result in a lethal concoction for elephant populations around the world. Asian elephants would be especially threatened because of the geographical closeness of the range countries to China.

The seizure in Kenya is just the tip of the iceberg; the timing of the arrests and the nationality of the people involved clearly highlight the extent of this crime network responsible for poaching of more than 20,000 elephants worldwide, every year. In one of the bigger hauls in recent years, about 3.9 tonnes of African elephant tusks, worth about GBP 8,05,500, was seized from a shipping container in 2006, by the Hongkong customs. Moreover, enforcement authorities assert that only about 10 per cent of the contraband is seized in the customs.

Although, CITES officials claim that China’s enforcement has improved considerably, conservationists are unimpressed. In 2002, its enforcement efficiency score (rated through ETIS) measured just above five out of 100.

Conservationists are disappointed at the ‘detrimental’ move made by CITES, the world authority in wildlife conservation. They now feel that the only hope will be to improve enforcement in the elephant range countries. This is however easier said than done, as many of these countries are developing nations where well-armed poaching syndicates continue to effectively use poverty, weak enforcement and political instability to their ends.

The real outcome of the CITES decision will only be clear over time. If the fears are proven true, African elephants and tusk-bearing male Asian elephants will be increasingly poached, and the credibility of CITES as an international authority on wildlife will be critically compromised. Till such time, however, logic does not allow for optimism.

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