African elephants will decline by a fifth in the next 10 years

At the African Elephant Summit held in Gaboronne (Botswana) that took place from December 2 to 4, participants said that based on the latest statistics, African nations would suffer 20% of elephants in the next decade.

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This is a meeting organized by the Botswana Government initiative in collaboration with the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).

According to the latest statistics of the illegal elephant surveillance program (MIKE-CITES), 15,000 African elephant individuals were killed in 42 locations in 27 African countries. According to MIKE's analysis, the total number of African elephants illegally killed across the continent amounted to 22,000, down slightly from the 25,000 killed in 2011.

Mr. John Scanlon, CITES Secretary-General International affirmed: 'With 22,000 African elephants killed in 2012, we are facing a very urgent situation. Elephant hunting in Africa is becoming a problem and will lead to extinction of species if the rate of slaughter continues. This situation is also particularly painful in Central Africa when the elephant killing rate here is twice that of the whole continent 'average.

IUCN's African elephant expert team estimates that the African elephant population now has about 500,000 individuals. Central African elephants are at the center of clashes, although levels of hunting in other sub-regions such as South and Northern Africa are much higher. Many experts believe that poverty and backwardness in African countries and the increasing demand for ivory in consuming countries are the main causes of increasing illegal hunting.

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Illegal elephant hunting levels are best illustrated by data from the Elephant Trafficking Information System (ETIS) with the coordination of Traffic. 2011 was the peak year of ivory illegal trade in the last 16 years and could continue in 2012.

The statistics also predict a high level of illegal trade may also take place in 2013. Although not sufficient, statistics on large-scale arrests in 2013 (from the level of 500 kg of ivory / crop in one location) shows that confiscated ivory has reached its highest level in 25 years. Some of the big cases showed the involvement of criminal organizations and over 18 arrests confiscated 41.6 tons of ivory in 2013. This number could be higher if the enforcement activities were not create a clear effect and complete statistics and publish in early 2014.

Tom Milliken, Traffic's ivory trade expert, said: '2013 has grown 20% from the peak of 2011 and this really worries us.'

Since 2009, ivory shipping routes have been formed from ports in West and Central Africa to East Africa with Tanzania and Kenya as outputs for illegal trade activities out of Africa. Malaysia, Vietnam and Hong Kong are transshipment routes with a final consumption point of China and also Thailand.

However, in the last two years, smugglers have begun to use newly formed routes in some countries such as Togo and Ivory Coast as African export destinations with Indonesia and Spain. Nha, Sri Lanka and the United Arab Emirates are new transit points.

Under these circumstances, the African Elephant Summit is expected to achieve the commitment of participating countries through actions to prevent illegal trade in ivory and conservation of elephants across Africa, including including strengthening national law enforcement to punish wildlife crimes and strengthen cooperation among countries.

Secretary General John Scanlon hopes: 'This is an opportunity for the international community to strengthen law enforcement and raise public awareness, end the chain of illegal trade and provide sustainable livelihoods for rural community. On that basis, we can repel these problems into the past and towards the future. '