Tracking Illegal Ivory Trade in 2010

The illegal ivory trade has continued to rise despite efforts on banning such business activity. The problem now lies on how to track illegal ivory traders. This is a question on the inability to determine geographic origin of contraband ivory. Ivory traders smuggle it across several international borders using many differing trade routes. This strategy made poaching hotspots and potential trade routes difficult to determine especially in the forests of Central Africa.

Recently, a scientific breakthrough has been developed that can potentially protect the thousands of elephants who are near to extinction.

Researchers devised a genetic map of Africa's elephants which will enable investigators to precisely locate the region where a shipment has been made. Aside from the genetic analysis, the method can also determine where stronger anti-poaching efforts are needed. Then, it will provide the basis for monitoring the extent of the trade. Poaching is the term use to refer to illegal harvesting of elephants.

Extracting the DNA was the most complex matter in developing the new genetic devise. The process involved powdering the ivory. However, the researcher team’s previous experiments to powder the ivory through heat had destroyed the DNA.

In the latter experiments, the researcher team borrowed a method used by dentists to grind teeth to dust. This machine freezes the ivory at -240C, which brittles the ivory enough to be turned into powder. Thus, the DNA was preserved.

They identified genetic markers in African elephant population from various locations, detailing a genetic make-up of the continent’s elephants. Then, they adapted their genetic test to ivory. They used African elephant tusks that were at least 10 to 20 years old. They used a statistical method to extrapolate genetic signatures to fill in gaps between sampled populations.
The new devise was initially used to seize contraband ivory in Singapore in 2002. Thirty seven of the 500 seized tusks were tested. All the 37 tusks actually matched the genetics of elephants from Zambia and other near savannah. This resulted to replacement of Zambia’s director of wildlife and tightening of laws on ivory smuggling.
The advance technology is very timely during a period when illegal trade is reported the highest since its ban on 1989 through the listing of elephants in Appendix I of Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES). The population of African elephants has now dropped to 600,000 from 1.2 million in 1970s. Lately, the Singapore government seized 6.5 tons of ivory. This is the largest apprehension in the history of the ivory trade. In addition, wildlife trade monitoring network TRAFFIC reported a more than 4,000 elephants being killed every year to meet the demand for ivory consumption.
The increase in price of ivory is accounted as the major reason of steep increase in poaching. In 1989 when the ban was first implemented, the price of an ivory is $100 per kilogram. The price went down to $10 a ton in the subsequent years. But by the recent years, the price rocketed to $850. Thus, for illegal traders, ivory has become more lucrative.

History Of Africa's Ivory Trade

The current population of African elephant is about 600,000 down from about 1.2 million in 1979. Why? It is because of the exploitation of elephants for their ivory and skin. Hence, a sharp increase in elephant poaching, including illicit ivory trade, across Africa in the recent years.

The illegal harvesting of elephants is known as elephant poaching. It was already proven that poaching has caused the decimation of elephant population by almost half between the years of 1979 to 1989. This was the time when an elephant can yield $3, 600 for the middlemen while the average worker’s wage is no more than $1, 000 annually.

Elephant poaching happens because the state lacks enforcement and monitoring; the animals have no clear cut property rights also. In 1978, African elephant was placed on Appendix II of the Convention for International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) because of the decline of its population and its economic value.

The Appendix II regulates commercial trade and provides restriction on what is detrimental to the species.

The United States and many European nations imposed a moratorium on ivory imports in June 1989 to save the remaining elephant populations. The African elephant was added to Appendix I in October. The Appendix I ban trade in the products of African elephants and other species threatened by extinction. Such world ivory trading ban was implemented on January 18, 1990. African nations such as Zimbabwe, Botswana, Namibia, Malawi and South Africa took reservations. They even formed the South African Center for Ivory Marketing (SACIM). This organization has not functioned yet because of lack of buyers.
However, the trade ban had varying effects depending on the state. All players involved in the poaching business and ivory trade such as producers, entrepots, and consumers have different incentives to comply with the ban. These incentives actually are in conflict with each other. That’s why; the ivory trade failed in some aspects. Since then, the illicit ivory trade has continued despite policy efforts.

The Space for Elephants (SEF) said illicit ivory trade has increased since 2004 and shoot up in 2009. Even the research of Elephant Trade Information System supported SEF’s claims. SEF found that the volume of illicit ivory capture doubled between 2008 and 2009. Kenya and Democratic Republic of Congo are recorded as countries having the large numbers of elephant poaching, which were run by well-organized crime syndicates supplying the elephant demand especially in Asia.

The Kenyan government reported around 232 victims of poachers in 2009—up from 145 in 2008. Meanwhile in Congo, the Congolese military struggles to cope with poaching activity. In this country, rebels are believed to be involved in poaching and selling ivory.


These numbers showed the severity of poaching in Africa today than in 1990's. Experts estimated an 8 to 10% of Africa's elephants being killed every year to supply the growing demand for ivory. This level of poaching is incomparable in the 1980's before the world ivory trading ban implementation.

What is apparent in the history of elephant poaching and illicit ivory trade in Africa is that states in conflict and corruption are in no position to enforce laws controlling the illicit trade in ivory.

For example, the abovementioned failure of the world ivory trading ban in 1990. The cultural and economic factors, particularly in Asia, also contribute to the rampant illicit ivory trade because of its ever present and continuing demand for ivory products.

Today, many studies projected that with that rate of elephant poaching there is a possibility of extinction by 2010. The elephant poaching and illicit ivory trades have been the main concerns for the 15th CITES’ Conference of Parties.