Government to request further ivory sales

Namibia said on Friday that it would ask to be allowed to continue trading in ivory when countries signatory to the Convention on International Trade on Endangered Species (Cites) meet in the Kenyan capital, Nairobi from 10-20 April.

A report in ‘The Namibian’ quoted a government report as saying efforts to control elephant poaching had been successful, and that the country’s elephant population should remain listed on the Cites Appendix II which allows limited trade. Appendix I of the Convention lists highly endangered species which cannot be traded.

The Ministry of Environment and Tourism called on Cites to issue an annual export quota for registered stocks of ivory of Namibian origin owned by government. “The total number of elephants recorded as having been illegally hunted during 1999 is six,” the report said. In 1998 only four elephants were lost through poaching. Namibia has an estimated elephant population of 10,000. In 1997, Namibia, Botswana and Zimbabwe succeeded in persuading Cites to list their elephants on Appendix II.