TANZANIA IN DENIAL & STILL TRYING TO SPIN ELEPHANT POACHING CRISIS

Finally admitting this week that it has presided over a catastrophic 60 per cent collapse in its elephant population due to poaching in the past five years, the Government of Tanzania is still flailing around in denial.

 

The Environmental Investigation Agency (EIA) has been investigating ivory trafficking out of Tanzania since the current upsurge in elephant poaching began in 2006 and in November 2014 released its landmark Vanishing Point report, which revealed that Chinese-led criminal gangs are conspiring with corrupt Tanzanian officials to traffic huge amounts of ivory.

 

In an apparent bid to shirk official responsibility, the Minister of Natural Resources and Tourism, Lazaro Nyalandu, has partially blamed the 60 per cent elephant population decline on migration.

 

The reality is that since January the Government has deliberately suppressed the elephant census figures, which show a fall in numbers from 110,000 in 2009 to 43,521 last year. Despite the census being conducted between May and November 2014, the results are only now being released, on the grounds that they needed to be validated or a recount conducted.

 

Tanzania has been here before – in 2009 a similar report highlighting a serious drop in elephant numbers in the Selous was buried. The figures, to great official embarrassment, were subsequently leaked at a major international meeting.

 

Faced with such a major and ongoing crisis, the Government has defiantly moved to curb transparency on the issue when last month its Parliament passed an oppressive Statistics Bill which in effect allows it to bury any number of embarrassing realities by making it a criminal offence to publish data not endorsed by the National Bureau of Statistics. Earlier this year, the Government banned sales of The East African newspaper in Tanzania which, among other important issues, had also widely covered EIA’s Vanishing Point report.

 

In Tanzania, the reaction to Vanishing Point was led by the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Bernard Membe, who told Parliament: “The EIA report has been cooked up with the aim of tainting the good reputation of our country and that of our friends, the People’s Republic of China. It is a patched up report, whose release has been timed to serve an agenda well known to us.”

 

He further insisted: “Accusations the Government of Tanzania pays no attention to illegal ivory trade, and takes no action against culprits of the crime, are baseless.” This despite the report providing clear and entirely contradictory evidence – as of October 2014, just one individual has been convicted since 2009 out of 13 cases involving 26.5 tonnes of ivory and implicating several individuals and companies. Not a single corrupt official implicated in the trade has been prosecuted.

 

Vanishing Point was widely shared with key Tanzanian Government officials and departments; to date, EIA has received no formal response.

There have been indications that the Government is belatedly stepping-up efforts to tackle poaching and ivory trafficking but its record remains tainted with suppressed information: at the Botswana Conference on Illegal Wildlife Trade in March 2015, the Government made no reference to the severe decline in elephant population, instead choosing only to highlight cherry-picked positive examples of relative stability and bemoan its need of additional funding; and as recently as April 30, 2015, Tanzania National Parks issued a press release denying a decrease in elephant population in Ruaha and claiming anti-poaching efforts have reduced poaching in the area.

 

This issue should be of serious concern for donors who are providing significant aid to Tanzania, which include efforts to combat illegal wildlife trade and strengthen Government accountability. In 2012, donors committed nearly $2.6 billion in aid for Tanzania, with the top donors being World Bank (approx $643 million), USA (approx $419 million), European Communities (approx $183 million), UK (approx $178 million) and Japan (approx $42 million).

 

EIA Elephants Campaign team leader Mary Rice said: “It’s been nearly a decade since EIA first exposed the scale of poaching and ivory trafficking in Tanzania and, despite all the warning signals and the wealth of information available to the Government, it appears that no genuine effort has been made to contain the crisis and secure the future of elephants in Tanzania.

 

“The Tanzanian Government must take responsibility for the devastation of Tanzania’s elephants from over 136,753 in 2006 to 43,521 elephants in 2014. The response of the Government needs to be drastically amplified as a priority, commensurate with the scale of the problem, and this must include transparency regarding the true scale of the problem and the arrest and prosecution of high-level ivory traffickers and the corrupt officials who enable them.”

AFRICAN GROUP SPURS PROGRESS TOWARDS GLOBAL AGREEMENT ON HFCs

BANGKOK: Unprecedented global attention on super greenhouse gases – hydrofluorocarbons, or HFCs – resulted in agreement on a way forward under the Montreal Protocol this week.

 

At the five-day meeting in Bangkok, the African group emerged as a strong voice in support of tackling HFCs, overcoming resistance by a minority of countries.

 

There were high expectations at the start of the meeting after India, previously one of the strongest opponents, submitted its own HFC phase-down amendment proposal. This proposal, in combination with those filed previously by the North American countries and Micronesia and the efforts of the African group, brought new energy to the negotiations, with the vast majority of developing and developed countries in favour of a phase-down of HFCs under the Montreal Protocol.

 

Strong opposition from Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and other Gulf states, however, quickly showed that there remain serious obstacles.

 

“The efforts of India and Senegal, and the leadership of the African group in moving negotiations forward, provide hope that all countries can come to a swift agreement to take fast action on HFCs,” said Clare Perry, Head of Climate for the Environmental Investigation Agency (EIA).

 

A two-day technical workshop followed by a three-day political meeting was dedicated to the issue of managing HFCs.

 

“This meeting is a first but crucial step in ensuring that the Montreal Protocol doesn’t restore the ozone layer at the expense of the global climate,” said Mark W. Roberts, EIA International Policy Advisor. “Decisive action on HFCs will mitigate 100 billion tonnes of CO²e and deliver massive energy efficiency gains, catalysing strong climate benefits.”

 

Parties agreed to continue inter-sessional work on HFCs with a view to establishing a contact group at the next OEWG meeting in Paris in July. The explicit mention of ‘contact group’ is significant as it indicates formal negotiations will start this year.

THE WANGARI MAATHAI SCHOLARSHIP FUND

• CALL FOR APPLICATIONS
• CfA No: WMSF/R3/2015

INFORMATION NOTE & GUIDE TO APPLICANTS

All interested applicants are encouraged to carefully read and fully understand these guidelines before attempting to complete the application forms.
Failure to strictly follow the guidelines may result in incomplete or rejection of submitted proposals.

Background of the fund

The Wangari Maathai Scholarship Fund is an environmental innovations fund set up in memory of Professor Wangari Maathai that is aimed at developing 
action-oriented young people with strong values and commitment to the conservation of the physical and social environment in Kenya.

http://www.kcdf.or.ke/index.php/work-with-us/call-for-proposal

Seeing ‘red’ – the often hidden colour of wildlife contraband

The escalating international criminal trade in ivory and rhino horn is well documented and, unfortunately, has seldom been out of the headlines in recent years.

 

Significantly less well known is the exploitation and trafficking of another product derived from a critically endangered species, often commanding black market prices up to five times higher than ivory – the carved beaks of helmeted hornbills.

 

EIA has been monitoring trade in ivory and rhino horn for the past two decades, from gathering intelligence via face-to-face conversations with traders in Africa and Asia to monitoring the ever-growing online sales.

 

Criminals have not been slow in transitioning into the 21st century and adopting new technology. Just as they had to learn the etiquette needed to engage traders face on, EIA covert investigators have had to learn the coded jargon used to communicate with online suppliers, such as ‘black’ for rhino horn and ‘white’ for ivory.

 

In recent years, another colour – ‘red’ – has become increasingly prominent in trade; taking its origins from its Chinese name, hedinghong (hong = red), this ‘red’ represents the beaks of helmeted hornbill birds.

 

As with ivory and rhino horn, the main consumer market for helmeted hornbill beaks is China. They are traded and processed through the same carving industries in China and sold in shops as luxury products, namely jewellery and decorative ornaments. At RMB40 per gram, it commands an estimated five times the average price of black market ivory in weight. With the growing wealth of Chinese consumers, helmeted hornbill beak products have become increasingly popular, so much so that ‘red’ has significantly elevated as a status symbol to its ‘black’ and ‘white’ counterparts.

 

With a wingspan about 1.7m, the helmeted hornbill is a large bird inhabiting the South-East Asia forests of Sumatra and Borneo. The species generally occurs in primary semi-evergreen and evergreen lowland forests up to 1,500m above sea level. Unlike other hornbills, the helmeted hornbill is sedentary in range and territorial in behaviour. Its most distinctive physical feature is the unique casque, or helmet, above its red/yellow beak.

 

Populations have been in serious decline due to a combination of habitat destruction and poaching, with the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species listing the species on Appendix I since 1975.

 

Yet despite its critically threatened status, little consideration has been given the helmeted hornbill. With much more attention focused on the trades in ivory and rhino horn, the trade in hornbill beak products has largely gone unnoticed and unhindered. Even on the consumer end, some buyers remain ignorant of the reality of helmeted hornbill products – what they are, where they come from, even that they derive from a living animal.

 

An EIA undercover investigator who monitors the trade, but who cannot be identified for security reasons, added: “One thing is for sure, alongside the ‘black’ and ‘white’ products in trade that EIA regularly monitors, the volume of ‘red’ products in trade has become widespread in recent years and that can only be a profoundly worrying sign for these majestic birds.”

International Conference on Agricultural Innovation Systems in West and Central Africa.

CORAF/WECARD, CSIRO- DFAT and Convergence of Sciences (CoS -SIS) are jointly organizing an international conference on agricultural innovation systems in West and Central Africa. The theme is "Facilitating changes in farming systems in West and Central Africa through the implementation of the Integrated Agricultural Research for Development (IAR4D)". The conference provides an opportunity to bring together several institutions and other stakeholders to share experiences on agricultural innovation systems in West and Central Africa, to assess the successes and weaknesses of the IAR4D approach and to explore together the perspectives and solutions for its improvement.

As a key stakeholder who can make a significant contribution in achieving the Conference Objective, I am pleased to invite you to submit papers (deadline: February 10, 2015) for the upcoming conference that will be held in Saly, Senegal from 25 to 27 February 2015.

2nd All Africa Youth Conference On Environment and Climate Change: “Climate change will hit Africa”

YOUTH ENVIRONMENT CARE VOLUNTARY

2nd All Africa Youth Conference On Environment and Climate Change:
“Climate change will hit Africa”
20-21 MARCH 2015, African Union Headquarters, ADDIS ABABA, ETHIOPIA
Empowering youth to explore their potential in accelerating education on Climate Change

CALL FOR PROPOSALS

Climate, Socio-Economic and Environmental Baselines and Scenarios for Use in Climate Impact, Adaptation and Vulnerability Assessments in Agriculture for ECOWAS

Three (3) Consultancies

Deadline:	September 23, 2014
Location:	Africa

The United Nations University - Institute for Natural Resources in Africa (UNU-INRA) is currently accepting proposals to conduct a three (3) months data collection to gather climate, socio-economic and environmental data and information for use in climate impact, adaptation and vulnerability assessment in agriculture for ECOWAS.

The official calls for proposals are attached. The calls describe the overall work required and give instructions for submission of a proposal. Please note that the deadline for receiving proposals is September 23, 2014 at 17:00 GMT. Email enquiries should be sent to recruit-inra@unu.edu.

These consultancies form parts of a research project on Climate Change, Agricultural Trade and Food Security in ECOWAS, which is being sponsored by the African Climate Policy Centre of the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (ACPC/UNECA). The overall objective of the research project is to assess whether or not agricultural production systems and trade policies in ECOWAS can be adjusted to alleviate the impact of climate change on food security and promote sustainable development in the region.

World Heritage in Africa

This is a Call for applications for Internships to support World Heritage in Africa. Within the framework of the 2012-2017 Action Plan for World Heritage in Africa and its Regional Capacity Building Programme, three unique internship opportunities are being offered from 1 March 2014 to 31 May 2014 in the following three international heritage organizations: The African World Heritage Fund (AWHF), located in Midrand (South Africa) http://www.awhf.net/ The Centre for Heritage Development in Africa (CHDA), located in Mombasa (Kenya) http://www.heritageinafrica.org and The Ecole du Patrimoine Africain (EPA), located in Porto-Novo (Benin) http://www.heritageinafrica.org

Applicants are required to be competent in either English or French. The deadline for applications is 13 January 2014. Further information at http://www.awhf.net/?p=1670

Gorilla Guardians- Nigeria with the Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust

A new community-based approach to the conservation of some of the most remote (and hence least protected) groups of Cross River gorillas is currently underway in Nigeria and Cameroon. "Gorilla guardians" are in the process of being selected from the local population in villages close to target gorilla sites, with the overall goal being to strengthen monitoring, awareness, and protection of Cross River gorillas and other endangered species, through an approach that encourages greater community participation in conservation. In particular, the creation of these gorilla guardians provides another step towards the general sensitization of the local people living in the Takamanda-Mone Landscape, as many of the villages earmarked to be involved in this initiative fall outside the range of current WCS-led conservation education activities.

Image by Rick from Gorilla Guardians/ Permission from the Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust

Southern African Young Scientists Summer Program

The Southern African Young Scientists Summer Program (SA-YSSP) offers
doctoral candidates the opportunity to develop research skills in
systems analysis and its application to policy and management. The
program takes place in South Africa from 24 November 2013 to 22
February 2014. Apply by 1 September 2013.

The SA-YSSP is a three-month program held during the Southern
Hemisphere summer, November to February. Modeled on IIASA’s Young
Scientists Summer Program (YSSP), the SA-YSSP is now in its second
year. It makes IIASA’s unique research and training opportunities more
accessible to young scientists focused on systems approaches to issues
facing developing countries, and connects researchers in Southern
Africa with IIASA experts and the IIASA global research network.

The program is open to advanced PhD students studying in South Africa,
a Southern African Development Community (SADC) nation, or one of
IIASA’s 20 National Member Organization (NMO) countries, whose
research is compatible with the 19 research themes defined by the
supervisory teams in the general areas of Risk & Governance, Energy &
Climate Systems, Ecosystems & Water, and Population, Health & Aging.

Funding for travel and living expenses is available.

More information:
On SA-YSSP: www.iiasa.ac.at/sa-yssp
On IIASA: www.iiasa.ac.at
On IIASA's 20 Member Countries:
http://www.iiasa.ac.at/web/home/about/nationalmembers/National-Member-Organizations.en.html

2013 International Conference on Family Planning: Full Access, Full Choice

CALL FOR YOUTH SPEAKERS

for the 2013 International Conference on

Family Planning: Full Access, Full Choice

November 12-15, 2013 in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

Are you 18--‐25 years old and passionate about family planning, sexual and reproductive health and rights? Voice your engagement as a youth conference speaker!

Young people who are selected will have conference registration travel costs covered and will play an essential role in providing a youth perspective to the program.

Applicants are asked to prepare a 5--‐minute video about who they are and their engagement in family planning. To apply,

visit: http://www.fpconference2013.org/

Obama to take on elephant and rhino poaching in Africa

Barack Obama launched a new initiative against wildlife trafficking on Monday, using his executive authority to take action against an illegal trade that is fueling rebel wars and now threatens the survival of elephants and rhinoceroses.

The initiative, announced as the president visited Tanzania on the final stop of his African tour, was the second time in a week Obama has used an executive order to advance environmental policy, after announcing a sweeping new climate change plan. 

See Suzanne Goldenberg, The Guardian 

Radical step of poisoning rhino horns- South Africa

A game reserve in South Africa has taken the radical step of poisoning rhino horns so that people risk becoming "seriously ill" if they consume them.

Sabi Sand said it had injected a mix of parasiticides and indelible pink dye into more than 100 rhinos' horns over the past 18 months to combat international poaching syndicates. More than 200 rhinos have been poached so far this year in South Africa, driven by demand in the far east, where horn ground into powder is seen as a delicacy or traditional medicine.

"Consumers of the powdered horn in Asia risk becoming seriously ill from ingesting a so-called medicinal product, which is now contaminated with a non-lethal chemical package," said Andrew Parker, chief executive of the Sabi Sand Wildtuin Association, a group of private landowners in Mpumalanga province.

David Smith in Johannesburg
guardian.co.uk, Thursday 4 April 2013 18.14 BST

MESSAGE FROM MR. BRAULIO Ferreira DE SOUZA DIAS, EXECUTIVE SECRETARY CONVENTION ON BIOLOGICAL DIVERSITY On the occasion of Africa Environment Day 3 March 2013

The United Nations Rio+20 outcome document “The Future We Want,” highlighted the critical role of biological diversity or biodiversity in short, in maintaining ecosystems that provide essential services which are the foundation for sustainable development and human well-being.

Biodiversity is responsible for providing food and water, for buffering the impacts of climate change, controlling the outbreak of diseases and supporting nutrient cycling. Biodiversity is also the foundation of many spiritual, recreational, and cultural benefits. The recently released Africa Environment Outlook underlined that Africa's biological diversity supports human health, as a major source of food, medicines and ecosystem services. Eighty per cent of Africa's rural population depends on traditional medicine. In Zimbabwe, 50 species of mushrooms, 25 species of fruit and 50 species of leafy vegetables are harvested from the wild.

Unfortunately, too few recognise the importance of biological diversity. Fewer still are mobilizing the tools and resources needed to ensure its conservation and sustainable use. With the loss of biodiversity continuing unabated, it is important to act now to create a future of life in harmony with nature, the future we want.

Tools are at hand to achieve this future of sustainability. The Millennium Development Goals remain important instruments for biodiversity. Their realization will also provide a much-needed boost for the post-2015 development agenda and the sustainable development goals under discussion.

The Strategic Plan for Biodiversity 2011-2020, agreed by 193 Parties under the auspices of the Convention on Biological Diversity provides a road-map to safeguard the diversity of life. The plan’s 20 Aichi Biodiversity Targets relate not only to conservation, but also to addressing the underlying causes of biodiversity loss by mainstreaming biodiversity across all sectors of government and society. Overall, the Targets aim to bring about change to our lifestyles, and to our development paradigm – in a direction that recognizes biodiversity as the foundation for sustainable development and poverty alleviation.

African countries are leading in creating the National Biodiversity Strategies and Action Plans, as 51 out of 54 counties have completed this exercise. Many have even up-dated these strategies to emphasize the mainstreaming of biodiversity into economic activity. More are on the way. I urge you all to continue your efforts in this regard.

African nations have also been at the forefront of the negotiation of the Nagoya Protocol on Access to Genetic Resources and the Fair and Equitable Sharing of Benefits Arising from their Utilization to the Convention on Biological Diversity. Twenty-nine African countries are signatories and 6 of the 14 ratifications as of today, are from African countries. The Nagoya Protocol will create greater legal certainty and transparency for both providers and users of genetic resources. The Protocol can, in light of this, help unlock the economic potential of biodiversity and meaningfully contribute to the sustainable development agenda. I congratulate countries who have ratified or acceded to the Protocol for sending a clear signal of their commitment to its entry into force and. I encourage other countries to follow suit to ensure the timely entry into force of this important international instrument.

On this Africa Environment Day, when we also reflect on the work and legacy of Dr. Wangari Maathai, who tirelessly promoted the need to live in harmony with nature, let us celebrate the successes in sustaining our environment. Let these sustain greater efforts in support of the Convention on Biological Diversity, and on all the environmental work we must carry out. This is for our sake, for the sake of Africa’s children, and for the sake of life on earth.

Election of YOUNGO Focal Point is now open

The voting for the election of YOUNGO Focal Point is now open. How to do vote? Just follow the instructions below:

1. Have a look at the applications from both regions at: http://tinyurl.com/2013FPapp

2. Make your choice and then go to the online voting links below if you are an:

3. Individual, vote at: https://docs.google.com/a/youthclimate.org.uk/spreadsheet/viewform?fromEmail=true&formkey=dFJWXzlJejBSd3dqeHJtNkt4RjZnQUE6MQ

4. Organization and want to cast a vote, please go to: http://tinyurl.com/2013FPorg

5. Inform your colleagues, friends and other contacts about the importance of voting and choosing the best candidates. Also please remember the Voting Process below: There will be 2 voting constituencies each having 50% of the votes, with all voting taking place between Saturday 1st December 12:00 Doha time (9:00 GMT+3) to Monday 3rd December 22:00 Doha time (19:00 GMT+3). There are individual and organizations voting ! Each individual will have to identify as from a certain region; any regions underrepresented in the early stages of voting will be heavily encouraged to vote more in the later stages. Each individual and each organization will have the right to place a vote for one candidate from the Global North candidate and one candidate from the Global South. One candidate from the Global South with highest number of votes received (within the candidates from the South) and one candidate from the Global North with highest number of votes received (within the candidates from the North) will be selected as the two focal points. If you are at COP18 in Doha you can vote physically. Paper ballots will be available in the YOUNGO office in Hall 4 although we encourage the use of online voting to limit the environmental impact.

UNEP TUNZA INTERNATIONAL YOUTH CONFERENCE ON THE ENVIRONMENT

VENUE: NAIROBI KENYA

DATE: 10 to 14 FEBRUARY 2013

THEME “ HEALTH & THE ENVIRONMENT ”

The United Nations Environment Programme will be hosting the Tunza International Youth Conference on the Environment in Nairobi, Kenya from10 to 14 February 2013. It will bring together 200 youth from over 100 countries. The Conference Programme will include plenaries, workshops and field trips. The overall theme is Health & the Environment and the subthemes include Youth & Entrepreneurship, Sustainable Consumption/ State of the

Environment and Water. More details on the sub themes and workshop(s) registration will be provided later.

For more information on the Conference, and to submit a nomination from your organization please visit our website: http://unep.org/tunza/youth/tiyc2013

Nominations must be submitted to UNEP on or before 15 December 2012

For further information on the conference, please contact:

The Children and Youth / Sport and the Environment Unit

Division of Communications and Public Information

Email: children.youth@unep.org

African Youths Initiative on Climate Change ( AYICC)

Dear Global Youths

African Youths Initiative on Climate Change ( AYICC) invites you to: Youth Conversation Session with Mr. Pa Ousman Jarjue, Chair of LDC group ( 48 least developed countries) at United Nation Framework Convention on Climate Change ( UNFCCC). Date: 27 November 2012, at 4pm ( GMT+0), tentative.

This is an opportunity to contribute to the process of the conference of parties of the UNFCCC, make your voice heard in the upcoming COP 18 to be held in Doha, Qatar.

To book your attendance please click here. We will get back to you for further information.

Also, please be happy to share this invitation among your networks.

Best wishes 

--
Ebrima S. Dem
National Coordinator
Global Unification-The Gambia
83 Kairaba Avenue, PMB 496, Serekunda
Tel: +2209807770 ( Gambia) +34652828525 ( Spain)
http://globalunificationthegambia.orgebrimadem@globalunificationthegambia.org
demebrima@yahoo.com

Skype: gu_gambia

BONOBOS ARE OUR CLOSEST LIVING RELATIVES

Although bonobos are our closest living relative, we still know very little about them. What we do know is that there aren’t many of them left – as few as 10,000 left in the wild, making them the world’s most endangered ape. Bonobos only live in one country, the Democratic Republic of Congo, which has seen the bloodiest war since World War II.

For over 15 years, Claudine André has fought for the conservation and welfare of bonobos in Congo. She established Lola ya Bonobo, the world’s only bonobo sanctuary with over 60 orphans from the bushmeat trade, but more than anyone else in the world, Claudine has worked tirelessly to convince everyone from Congolese hunters to politicians that bonobos are a national treasure worth protecting.

How can anyone not want to help these beautiful animals?

  Bonobo Handshake is an amazing book that follows a young woman (Vanessa Woods) who follows her fiance to Congo to study these rare apes.  Check out http://www.bonobohandshake.com/

A big thank you to Vanessa Woods for the permission to use the above images.

IVORY TRADE ‘EXPERTS’ STILL AVOIDING KEY ISSUE

LONDON: The new BBC documentary Ivory Wars: Out of Africa tonight detailed the ongoing tragedy of rampant elephant poaching and the international ivory trade, but something was absent from its broad overview.

Leading experts featured in the Panorama special failed to confront the most pressing issue – that China’s ‘legal’ ivory trade is driving the slaughter and shutting it down must be made a priority.

Last month, the London-based Environmental Investigation Agency (EIA) released the new briefing Blood Ivory: Exposing the myth of a regulated market and a campaign film, calling for legal ivory sales to be stopped and for China to be stripped of its Approved Buyer status.

EIA Executive Director Mary Rice said: “Panorama's findings clearly show how China’s unregulated consumption is devastating elephant populations in Africa, and how illegal ivory is even available in State-run Friendship stores.

“China’s voracious demand and its abject failure to regulate the ‘legal’ trade constitute a total failure of the 2008 decision to grant Approved Buyer status to China, allowing it to purchase stockpiled ivory at auctions sanctioned by the Convention on the International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES).

“The UK, European Union and other governments supported China’s bid to become an Approved Buyer and should shoulder the responsibility for that misguided decision by opposing any further sales and pushing for China’s status to be revoked.”

Recent EIA undercover investigations in China show its ivory trade is out of control, with up to 90 per cent of ivory available coming from illegal sources and evidence that the Chinese Government itself has directly profiteered on the ivory it bought at auction in 2008.

EIA has repeatedly warned of the risk of granting China Approved Buyer status, including in its 2007 report Made in China: “China does not meet the requirements of CITES … and the Standing Committee should not approve China’s request to be an approved trading partner”.

However, the following year, a report by TRAFFIC, which manages the Elephant Trade Information System (ETIS) on behalf of CITES, and China Arts & Crafts Association claimed “… the legal ivory processing and sales enterprises are not involved in any illegal ivory trade.” In the same year, TRAFFIC endorsed China's application to be an Approved Buyer for legal ivory sales.

In Ivory Wars, TRAFFIC/ETIS spokesman Tom Milliken conceded: “Did allowance of ivory to go into China exacerbate a situation? One could probably argue now, that with hindsight, that indeed it did. It created perhaps an image in the minds of many potential Chinese consumers that it was okay to buy ivory.”

Rice added: “Time is not on the elephant’s side. The failure of the legal trade is evident and it should be immediately shut down.”

Interviews are available on request; please contact EIA Executive Director Mary Rice at maryrice@eia-international.org or telephone 020 7354 7960.

AFRICAN PENGUINS AT THE TORONTO ZOO- CANADA

The African penguin is also known as the black-footed penguin (Spheniscus demersus).

This medium-sized penguin has a robust body with black plumage on its back and white plumage with black markings on its chest and belly. The head, chin, throat, uppermost parts of the breast, and the whole of the upper parts are black. A broad white band commencing at the base of the bill runs above the eye, and continues around the cheeks, broadening over the upper breast.

By far the greatest threat to these interesting birds has come from humans. The present population is probably less than 10% of that in 1900, when there was estimated to be about 1.5 million birds on Dassen Island alone. By 1956 the population had fallen to roughly half that in 1900, and had halved again by the late 1970s, when there was an estimated 220,000 adult birds. By the late 1980s the number had dropped to about 194,000 and in the early 1990s there was an estimated 179,000 adult birds. Breeding no longer occurs at 10 localities where it formerly occurred or has been suspected to occur.

The reasons for the significant decline in the African Penguin populations are well known. Initially, the decline was due mostly to the exploitation of penguin eggs for food, and habitat alteration and disturbance associated with guano collection at breeding colonies (removal of the guano layer resulted in increased predation of eggs and chicks). These factors have now largely ceased, and the major current threats include competition with commercial fisheries for pelagic fish prey, and oil pollution. Given an annual rate of decline of about 2% per year, there is considerable concern about the long-term viability of African Penguins in the wild. By the late 1990s the population had recovered slightly, and in 1999 there was an estimated 224,000 individuals.

Chick recently born at the zoo.  

Link: http://torontozoo.com/ExploretheZoo/AnimalDetails.asp?pg=801

Images from the Toronto Zoo