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A30 world news
Diamars 24 mei 2022

7 die in Philippine ferry fire; over 120 rescued from water

MANILA, Philippines who were injured were taken
(AP) — A ferry carry- to a hospital.
ing more than 130 people Portales said seven passengers
caught fire in the north- died from burns and drown-
eastern Philippines on ing and one possibly had a
Monday, killing seven pas- heart attack while floating in
sengers and forcing many the water.
survivors to jump into the Investigators were looking
sea where they were res- into the fire, and other fer-
cued by other vessels. ries operated by the owner
of Mercraft 2 would likely
The fire rapidly spread from be suspended from operating
the engine room to the up- while undergoing safety in-
per passenger deck of the spections, officials said. The
M/V Mercraft 2 while it was wreckage was towed to shore
approaching a port in Real, in Real.
town administrator Filomena Sea accidents are common
Portales said. It had been en in the Philippine archipelago
route to the town in Quezon because of frequent storms,
province from Polillo Island. badly maintained boats, over-
Many of the 134 passengers crowding and weak enforce-
and crew jumped into the ment of safety regulations.
water and were plucked from In December 1987, the ferry
the sea by motorboats and Dona Paz sank after collid-
cargo vessels, coast guard of- fast,” Portales said by tele- Pictures released by the coast while a rescuer tried to revive ing with a fuel tanker, killing
ficials said. phone, adding that many of guard showed fire engulf- an unconscious survivor by more than 4,300 people in
“Fishing boats and other ves- those rescued were in shock ing the ferry and dark smoke pressing on his chest. the world’s worst peacetime
sels were able to approach and had to be treated for billowing from it. Injured The coast guard said every- maritime disaster.
quickly and everybody burns and bruises and given survivors on stretchers were one on the ferry had been
helped, so the rescue was dry clothes and shoes. taken to waiting ambulances accounted for and 24 people

Zimbabwe opens conference to promote sales of elephant ivory

HARARE, Zimbabwe countries that have fewer el-
(AP) — Zimbabwe has ephants. They argue that re-
opened an international opening legal international
conference to try to win trade in ivory trade, even for
international support a single auction, would result
for its campaign to be al- in increased poaching.
lowed to sell its stockpile CITES banned the interna-
of seized ivory. tional ivory trade in 1989 to
curtail poaching. In addi-
If the southern African coun- tion to banning ivory sales,
try is not permitted to sell off CITES in 2019 also imposed
its 130 tons of ivory, estimat- restrictions on the sales of
ed to be worth $600 million, wild elephants caught in
officials warn it may quit the Zimbabwe and Botswana, a
Convention on International move that pleased some con-
Trade in Endangered Species, servationists but dismayed
CITES. officials struggling to manage
The three-day conference their overcrowded parks.
started Monday at Hwange There is a flourishing illegal
National Park, the country’s trade in ivory in which in-
largest wildlife park which is ternational syndicates fund
in southwestern Zimbabwe. poachers to kill elephants and
Representatives from 16 Af- saw off their ivory tusks. The
rican countries, as well as The conference “is sending continent, said the letter. its national parks, say parks ivory is then smuggled over-
Japan and China, major con- a dangerous signal to poach- “Legalizing the ivory trade, officials. The overcrowded seas, where there is a demand
sumers of ivory, are to attend ers and criminal syndicates including by authorizing an- elephants are destroying the for ivory for jewelry and trin-
the gathering, said officials. that elephants are mere com- other ‘one-off’ sale could trees and shrubs that are vital kets.
Last week envoys from some modities, and that ivory trade have similarly disastrous con- for them and other wildlife. Increased poaching and loss
European Union countries, could be resumed, heighten- sequences,” the groups said. Neighboring Botswana has of habitat have made Africa’s
Britain, the United States and ing the threat to the species,” Zimbabwe argues that its el- the world’s largest elephant elephant populations more
Canada were guided through said a coalition of 50 wildlife ephant population is growing population with more than endangered, the Internation-
heavily guarded vaults in Ha- and animal rights organiza- rapidly at between 5% to 8% 130,000. Together Zimbabwe al Union for Conservation of
rare that are filled with piles tions from across the globe per year, a rate it says is un- and Botswana have nearly Nature said last year.
of elephant tusks to win in- in a joint statement issued sustainable. Zimbabwe says it 50% of the world’s elephants. Zimbabwe and Botswana
ternational support for legal Monday. desperately needs the funds The two countries say they say they are ill-equipped to
sales of the ivory. Southern African countries from the sales of the ivory to are struggling to cope with deal with poachers without
Zimbabwe’s effort to sell that have twice been permitted to manage its elephant popula- the booming numbers. the money from ivory sales,
ivory is controversial with sell off their ivory stocks to tion, which it says has grown Opposition is coming from especially because earnings
many conservation groups Japan and China in 1997 and to a “dangerous” size. Kenya and other members of from tourism have dwindled
opposing it, saying any sale of 2008 and those limited sales Zimbabwe’s estimated the African Elephant Coali- due to COVID—19 related
ivory encourages poaching of resulted in “a sharp escala- 100,000 elephants are dou- tion, whose 32 members are travel restrictions since 2020.
the pachyderms. tion” in poaching across the ble the carrying capacity of mostly East and West African