Page 28 - ARUBA TODAY

A28 SCIENCE
Monday 19 august 2019

From tusks to tails, nations eye trade in endangered species

By JAMEY KEATEN and MA- “very disappointed” if do-
RIA CHENG mestic demand for ivory is
Associated Press cut off in places like Japan.
GENEVA (AP) — From gui- “The many people who
tars to traditional medi- work in the ivory business
cines and from tusk to tail, will no longer be able to
mankind’s exploitation of continue with their work in
the planet’s fauna and flo- that business — and that is
ra is putting some of them a serious problem,” he said.
at risk of extinction. Repre- Flora, arguably a less glam-
sentatives of some 180 na- orous subject than animal
tions are meeting in Gene- life, also gets spots on the
va to agree on protections agenda. One proposal, for
for vulnerable species, tak- example, would exempt
ing up issues including the musical instruments from
trade in ivory and the de- trade restrictions on a type
mand for shark fin soup. of rosewood that’s prized
The World Wildlife Confer- by guitar makers.
ence on trade in endan- Also on the agenda are
gered species, known as sharks. Some researchers
CITES, which takes place In this file photo of Monday Dec.17, 2012, a herd of adult and baby elephants walks in the dawn say commercial demand
every three years, aims light as the highest mountain in Africa, Tanzania’s Mount Kilimanjaro, is seen in the background, for shark fins — largely driv-
to make sure that global in Amboseli National Park, southern Kenya. en by the Chinese appetite
trade in specimens of wild Associated Press for shark fin soup — is deci-
animals and plants doesn’t plans to water down the logo on shipments of plants one African — want total mating populations.
jeopardize their survival. U.S. Endangered Species and animals across bor- protection for elephants Sharks are getting some
The conference opens Sat- Act — a message that ders: It amounts to a highly from any international ivory support in high places, in-
urday and runs through could echo among at- respected seal of approval trade. cluding from retired bas-
Aug. 28, with key decisions tendees at the CITES con- that trade in such species is Israel is even proposing ketball all-star Yao Ming,
expected to be finalized ference, even if the U.S. legitimate. tougher regulations on the who led China’s Olympic
in the last two days. It had move is more about do- The meeting’s agenda legal trade of mammoth team three times. Yao be-
originally been due to take mestic policy than interna- contains 56 proposals to ivory, hoping to undercut il- came a WildAid ambassa-
place in Colombo in May tional trade. change — mostly strength- legal traffickers of elephant dor in 2006 when he signed
and June, but was moved Alain Berset, head of the en — the level of protec- tusk who sneakily try to pass a pledge to give up shark
to Geneva after a series home affairs department tion among vulnerable or it off as “ice ivory” — ivory fin soup and has since ap-
of terror attacks in the Sri of host Switzerland, noted endangered species. But that comes from mam- peared in numerous ads
Lankan capital. that sustainable manage- some argue that protec- moth tusks. calling for diners to skip the
Three months ago, the first ment of threatened spe- tions should be downgrad- Elephant and mammoth luxury soup to save sharks.
comprehensive U.N. report cies “of course requires ed because the relevant tusks can be almost indistin- WildAid, an environmental
on biodiversity warned taking into account the populations have stabilized guishable to the untrained group, also says Yao was
that extinction is looming interests and the needs of or even increased. Officials eye, and the mammoth instrumental in bringing
for over 1 million species of the countries where these say the decisions are to ivory trade has become a about China’s ivory ban
plants and animals. There species live.” be based on science, not booming business. Confer- two years ago.
are growing concerns that CITES bans trade in some political or other consider- ence attendees will have Luke Warwick of the Wild-
policymakers aren’t acting products entirely, while per- ations. to determine whether life Conservation Society
quickly enough to stop it. mitting international trade “The new wildlife trade products from a long-ex- said dried shark fin can
“Business as usual is no lon- in other species provided it rules ... cover an array of tinct species can or should command up to $1,000 per
ger an option ... The rate of doesn’t hurt their numbers mammals, birds, reptiles, be covered by CITES. kilogram, and listing more
wildlife extinction is accel- in the wild. amphibians, trees and Advocacy group Avaaz shark species to the CITES
erating,” said CITES Secre- Demand is diverse for ani- other plants. Twenty listing says one key question is list would be just one of
tary-General Ivonne Higue- mal and plant products, proposals are inspired by whether Japan, home to several measures needed
ro in her opening remarks prized for their medici- concern over the grow- the world’s largest legal to help vulnerable popu-
to the conference. nal properties or as pets, ing appetite of the exotic ivory market, will join other lations of the predators of
“The assessment confirms culinary delicacies, and pet trade for charismatic countries committed to the deep. “You’ve got this
that nature’s dangerous products for knitwear and amphibians and reptiles,” closing their ivory trade. huge, unsustainable global
decline is unprecedent- handbags — among many CITES says. “Japan’s ivory market is trade in shark fin and huge
ed,” Higuero said. other uses. Africa is facing an internal fueling the international il- parts of it, 80%, are not
The meeting also comes Customs officials around debate about elephants legal ivory trade,” Avaaz regulated, with millions of
just days after the Trump the world know to be on and ivory. campaigner Andy Legon animals dying,” he told a
administration announced the lookout for the CITES Zambia — which argues said in an e-mail. “And with Geneva news conference
its population of wild Afri- elephants facing extinc- this week. “We’re watching
can elephants is large and tion, China, the U.S., Hong them disappear before our
stable, at about 27,000 — Kong SAR, Singapore and eyes.”
wants to “downlist” that others have recently com- Dr. Abdulla Naseer, the
population to allow for mitted to closing their ivory Maldives’ environment
ivory stockpile sales and markets.” minister, said his island na-
exports of hunting trophies, Go Tsurumi, chairman of tion supports three propos-
hides and leathers. A few the Japan Federation of als to protect 18 species
other countries in southern Ivory Arts and Crafts Asso- of sharks and rays, namely
Africa want another rule ciation, insisted some peo- the mako shark, white-spot-
on elephants eased. But ple who live alongside el- ted wedgefish and giant
10 other countries — all but ephants in Africa would be guitarfish.q