The Ivory Trade: Where have all the Elephants gone?

Officially, the East African nations of Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania re- ported exporting only 107 metric tons of ivory to Hong Kong in 1974. Hong Kong's official import figures disclose, however, that during the same year 461 tons were imported from East Africa. Similarly, 7.8 tons were reported ex- ported to Japan from East Africa in 1974; Japan, on the other hand, reported imports of approximately 94 tons from the three African nations. 1975 import figures indicated Hong Kong took in a total of 500 tons of East African ivory. This amount, assuming accurate statis- tics, means an estimated 25,000 to 30,000 elephants were killed for the Hong Kong market alone in 1975.

These figures - and their discrepan- cies - merely hint at both the extent of the African elephant kill and the illegal trade in ivory. No simple conclusions about the full scale of illegal ivory trade can be drawn from them, however. Too many questions remain unanswered. For example, what happened to the 23 tons of ivory reported exported from Tanzania to Hong Kong in 1974 but which never appeared in Hong Kong's import totals?

The largest importers of ivory are Hong Kong and Japan. The People's Republic of China is also a major im- porter of legal and illegal ivory. These nations are obviously helping to deci- mate an already depleted elephant pop- ulation. They are helped by the fact that, in Kenya at least, the President's daughter, Margaret Kenyatta, is accumu- lating great wealth from the export of illegal (and legal) ivory. Many middle- men and exporters in all three African nations enjoy political protection.

It is apparent that tighter import re-

strictions are needed. Export controls are, and can be expected to remain, in- effective. Those nations who signed the Washington Convention on trade in en-

Courtesy Zoologischer Garten, Frankfurt a.M.

dangered species should prevail upon Japan, Hong Kong, People's China and other consumer nations to ratify the convention as quickly as possible. SN []

Fundamental Principles of European Industry Among the organisations concerned

with environmental conservation prob- lems on an international level, the Union des Industries de la Communautd Euro- p~enne (UNICE)in Brussels has acquired a position of eminent importance. UNICE is an association of leading indus- trial federations from various European community member countries. The func- tion of UNICE is to represent and pro- mote at Community level the common

Environmental Policy and Law, 3 (1977)

interests of those industries working together in UNICE.

Because of the far reaching respon- sibilities beginning to be assumed by the European Commission in the area of environmental conservation, questions relating to this subject have also gained in importance in UNICE. This is proved not least of all by the establishment of a special committee on environmental questions wherein experts of leading

national industrial federations generally meet montly in order to find a common position, despite often diverse interests.

European industries support the efforts of UNICE. Its activities in their opinion substantially contribute to har- monise states' endeavours to improve environmental conservation. The prin- ciples guiding European industries in this matter are defined in a declaration entitled "Fundamental Principles", agreed upon in December 1976. See Selected Documents p. 197. []

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