Letter to Prime Minister Theresa May calling for full UK ivory ban – Sep 2016
The Conservative Party has promised twice in its election manifestos (2010 and 2015) to enact such a ban but it has failed to do so. This letter was delivered to No. 10 Downing St. at the end of the London Global March for Elephants and Rhinos on 24 September 2016.
At the end of the letter is an Addendum, which was written in response to the government’s announcement on 21 September of a crackdown on ivory sales.
This letter put pressure on the government for a total rather than partial ban on ivory trade, as acknowledged in the House of Commons Briefing Paper on the Ivory Bill of 2017 – ‘Despite the announcement of a partial ban, the Government had been put under pressure by an Action for Elephants letter to the Prime Minister whose signatories included William Hague, Jane Goodall and Stephen Hawking’ – and again in 2018.
Reported in The Guardian – Conservationists and MPs call for a total UK ban on ivory sales.
24 September 2016
Dear Prime Minister,
Action for Elephants UK is a grassroots group fighting to save elephants and to end poaching and the ivory trade that perpetuates it. With the support of wildlife NGOs, we’re organising the UK marches taking place on September 24th as part of the Global March for Elephants and Rhinos (GMFER).
The third annual Global March will take place this year on the opening day of CITES CoP17 in Johannesburg. Over 140 cities around the world will unite to call for a global ban on ivory and rhino horn trade, and for other measures to help save these iconic species. Action for Elephants UK and the undersigned groups are appealing to the government for a total ban on ivory sales in the UK, which is one of the Conservative Party manifesto commitments.
Tens of thousands of elephants are still being slaughtered every year for their ivory. This rate of poaching is pushing African elephants ever closer to extinction, and the window of opportunity for saving them is rapidly shrinking. Since poaching for the ivory trade is the most pressing threat facing Africa’s elephants, the closure of all ivory markets, both international and domestic, is critical for their survival.
At present, the legal ivory trade in the UK feeds one of the largest markets for ivory in Europe. Significant amounts of ivory are also sold through online marketplaces in the UK. The existence of a legal ivory trade serves as a cover for illegal sales of ivory, while continuing to perpetuate the cycle of supply and demand.
The laws that attempt to regulate the ivory trade in the UK have proved to be ineffective and unworkable, and ivory sellers – whether market traders or high-end auction houses – continue to sell ivory without the required paperwork. The police and the courts don’t have the resources to monitor the trade or prosecute all cases where the law is broken.
Earlier this month, the results of the Great Elephant Census – the first aerial census of Africa’s elephant populations – revealed that one-third of Africa’s elephants were wiped out in just seven years (2007 to 2014) – equivalent to 144,000 elephants. Between 2010 and 2012 alone, over 100,000 elephants were brutally slaughtered for their ivory. The poaching continues today across much of Africa, with some countries seeing an increase in illegal killings.
Rhinos are also in dire peril because of poaching for their horn, which has soared in recent years – in South Africa alone, by 9000% since 2007. Furthermore, the trade in ivory and horn is fuelled by organized criminal networks and widespread corruption; known terrorist groups are involved in both the poaching of elephants and rhinos and trafficking their body parts, reaping huge profits.
The past two years have seen an increase in international momentum to ban ivory: following a joint announcement on ivory bans by the USA and China in September 2015, the USA brought in a ban on ivory in July 2016, and China imposed a 3-year ban on ivory imports, promising a timeline for a complete ban by the end of 2016. Hong Kong, one of the biggest hubs of the illegal wildlife trade, announced in June 2016 that it will move towards a ban. France announced a ban on ivory trade in all its territories in April 2016.
Against this backdrop of global momentum, we would encourage the UK to not only take similar action by closing its own domestic ivory markets, but lead the way as a powerful voice in stopping this trade globally.
While your government has shown leadership in combatting the illegal wildlife trade internationally, including the landmark 2014 London Conference, it now needs to show similar leadership in implementing a total ban on all trade in ivory products in the UK once and for all.
With regard to CoP17, we hope the UK delegates will be voting against all proposals to allow trade in ivory and rhino horn, and in favour of proposals that afford these species maximum protection, including uplisting all elephants to Appendix 1.
Thank you for your attention and consideration.
Maria Mossman
Founder, Action for Elephants UK
And the undersigned
Dr Jane Goodall PhD DBE
Founder the Jane Goodall Institute & UN Messenger for Peace
Richard Leakey
Founder, Kenya Wildlife Service
Former Head of Kenya’s Civil Service and Secretary to Cabinet in Kenya
Virginia McKenna OBE, Hon Dr Science
Founder, Born Free Foundation
Will Travers
President, Born Free Foundation
Dame Daphne Sheldrick DBE
Chairman, David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust
Charlie Mayhew MBE
Chief Executive Tusk Trust
Tim Farron
Leader of the Liberal Democrats
MP, Westmorland and Lonsdale
Jonathan Bartley and Caroline Lucas
Joint Leaders, UK Green Party
Lord Hague of Richmond
Ed Miliband
MP, Doncaster North and former Leader of the Labour Party
Professor Stephen Hawking
Professor Richard Dawkins FRS
Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall
Journalist, broadcaster
Joanna Lumley
Actress
Ricky Gervais
Writer and Producer
Rabbi Dr Jonathan Romain MBE
The Rt Revd Dr Alan Smith
Bishop of St Albans
Khalid Anis MBE
Islamic Society of Britain
Dr Mahinda Deegalle
Reader in Study of Religions, Philosophies and Ethics
Ingrid E. Newkirk
Founder, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA)
Damian Aspinall
Chairman, The Aspinall Foundation
Stanley Johnson
Co-chairman, Environmentalists for Europe
Nicky Campbell OBE
Broadcaster and journalist
Rosemary Alles
Co-founder, Global March for Elephants and Rhinos
Susan Baetz
Chairman, Sauvez les Elephants d’Afrique/France
Claire Bass
Executive Director, Humane Society International UK
Reinhard Behrend
Founder and Director, Rainforest Rescue
Prof David Bellamy
Conservation Foundation
Scott Blais,
Co-founder, Global Sanctuary for Elephants
Richard Bonham
Director of Operations, Big Life
Rob Brandford
Director, David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust iworry Campaign
Carol Buckley
Founder, Elephant Aid International
Dallas Campbell
Documentary maker and TV presenter
Salisha Chandra
Founding member, Kenyans United Against Poaching – KUAPO Trust
Stefano Cheli
CEO, Cheli & Peacock Safaris
Trustee, the Land and Life Foundation
Jan Creamer
President, Animal Defenders International (ADI)
Arend de Haas
Co-founder & Director, African Conservation Foundation
Svetlana Dragayeva
Founder and CEO Virry App
Lee Durrell
Honorary Director, Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust
Dr Keith Dutlow and Dr Lisa Marabini
Co-Founders, AWARE Trust
Dr Kate Evans
Founder & Director, Elephants for Africa
Toni Frohoff, PhD
Elephant & Cetacean Scientist
Viktor Gebhart
CEO, Animals United e.V.
Birgit Hampl
Board Member, Rettet die Elefanten Afrikas e.V.
Raabia Hawa
Executive Director, Ulinzi Africa Foundation
Founder, Walk with Rangers Initiative
Jeremy Hulme
CEO, SPANA (The Society for the Protection of Animals Abroad)
Dr Lynn Johnson
Breaking the Brand
Simon Jones
Founder and Chairman, Helping Rhinos
Dr Trevor Jones
Director, STEP
Dereck & Beverly Joubert
Conservationists, filmmakers, National Geographic Explorers in Residence
Max and Josh Kauderer
Founders, Elephant Highway
Alan Knight OBE
CEO, International Animal Rescue
Laurene K. Knowles
Founder & President, Elemotion Foundation
Rob Laidlaw
Director, Zoocheck
Prof. Phyllis Lee
Scientific Director, Amboseli Trust for Elephants
Christine Macsween and Dr Pieter Kat
Directors, LionAid
Damien Mander
Founder, International Anti-Poaching Foundation
Philip Mansbridge
Director, IFAW UK
Chris Mercer
Director, Campaign Against Canned Hunting
Kate Moore
Programmes Director, Lilongwe Wildlife Trust
Paul Oxton
Founder/Director, Wild Heart Wildlife Foundation
Donalea Patman
Founder, For the Love of Wildlife
Nicole Paquette
Vice President of Wildlife, The Humane Society of the United States
Asgar Pathan
Executive Director, Care for the Wild Kenya
Bill Pelser
Chairman, Rhino Fund Uganda
Joaquin Phoenix
Actor
Mark Pilgrim
Director General, Chester Zoo
and
Simon Dowell
Science Director, Chester Zoo
Hannah Pollock and Jamie Unwin
Co-founders, Stand up for Nature
Ruth Powys
CEO, Elephant Family
Ian Redmond OBE
Independent Wildlife Biologist, Co-Founder of the Elefriends campaign (1989) and Ambassador for the UNEP Convention on Migratory Species
Dr Mary Rice
Executive Director, Environmental Investigation Agency
Professor Alice Roberts
Biological anthropologist, author and broadcaster
John Roberts
Director of Elephants, Golden Triangle Elephant Foundation
Caroline Ruane
CEO, Naturewatch Foundation, sponsors of World Animal Day
Dr Adam Rutherford
Geneticist, author and broadcaster
John Sauven
Executive Director, Greenpeace UK
William Shatner
Actor
David Shepherd CBE
Founder and President of the David Shepherd Wildlife Foundation
Stephen Sibbald
Country Director, World Animal Protection UK
Kate Silverton-Heron
Broadcaster and journalist
Patsy Stagman
Rhino Conservation Dubai
Elizabeth Steinbart
Founder and Director of Elephantopia
Anneka Svenska
Wildlife Presenter and Conservationist
Yvette Taylor
International Executive Director, Lawrence Anthony Earth Organization
Janet Thomas
Founder & Chair, Animal Aid Abroad (Australia)
Peter Wrege
Director, Elephant Listening Project
Rory Young
Co-founder, Chengeta Wildlife
Members of Parliament
Peter Aldous (Con)
North West Norfolk
Sir Henry Bellingham (Con)
North West Norfolk
Clive Betts (Lab)
Sheffield South East
Tom Brake (LibDem)
Carshalton and Wallington
Alan Brown (SNP)
Kilmarnock and Loudoun
Nick Brown (Lab)
Newcastle upon Tyne East
Fiona Bruce (Con)
Congleton
Lisa Cameron (SNP)
East Kilbride, Strathaven and Lesmahagow
Mark Durkan (SDLP)
Foyle
Nigel Evans (Con)
Ribble Valley
Roger Godsiff (Lab)
Birmingham Hall Green
Zac Goldsmith (Con)
Richmond Park and Kingston North
Anne Main (Con)
St Albans
John Mann (Lab)
Bassetlaw
Jason McCartney (Con)
Colne Valley
Angela Rayner (Lab)
Shadow Secretary of State for Education, Women & Equalities
Ashton-under-Lyne
Andrew Rosindell (Con)
Romford
Jeff Smith (Lab)
Manchester Withington
Sir Nicholas Soames (Con)
Mid Sussex
John Spellar (Lab)
Warley
House of Lords
Baroness Jones of Moulsecoomb
Lord Stoddart of Swindon
Baroness Young of Old Scone
Members of European Parliament
Catherine Bearder (LibDem)
South East England
Molly Scott Cato (Green)
South West England and Gibraltar
Richard Corbett (Lab)
MEP, Yorkshire and The Humber
Stefan Bernhard Eck (Green)
Germany
Julie Girling (Con)
South West England
Jean Lambert (Green)
London
Keith Taylor (Green)
South East England
Addendum – 21 Sept 2016
Further to the crackdown on ivory sales announced by the government on 21 September, that does not represent the total ban we are calling for. It simply tightens controls on the documentation required for dating ivory for sale, however no mechanisms could ever ensure that such controls are met and enforced for every single piece of ivory sold in the UK. As long as a legal ivory trade is allowed to continue, illegal ivory will find its way on to the market – and ongoing demand will fuel the scourge of poaching. We are dismayed that your government has chosen this route rather than announcing a complete ban as it has twice promised to do.
If the UK government wants to prove its intentions in working towards a total ban of the domestic trade, there will be the perfect opportunity at CITES next week. We call on the UK delegation in Johannesburg to vote in favour of the resolution encouraging nations around the world to ban their domestic ivory trades. Whether the rest of the EU will support this resolution appears uncertain, and the UK should endeavour to persuade the EU Council to back it. If necessary, the UK should follow its conscience and vote separately, as it has done in the past with supporting the ban on fishing for bluefin tuna in 2010. Now is the time to take a principled stand again, and do all it can to save elephants from extinction.