IFAW: Crucial decision on future of elephants to be made tomorrow, July 15th, 2008

Crucial decision for elephants to be made on Tuesday 15th July – spokespeople, broadcast footage and images available.

A decision that could have disastrous consequences for the planet’s remaining elephant populations is expected to be made this week.

The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) Standing Committee, being held in Geneva, will make a crucial decision whether to allow China to become a trading partner for 108 tonnes of stockpiled ivory from four African nations, including Zimbabwe. This amount of ivory represents the deaths of more than 10,000 elephants.

The UK is a member of the Standing Committee, and so has a crucial vote on this issue. It is vital that the UK government opposes this decision, as it will have a devastating impact on the future of thousands of elephants.

Robbie Marsland, Director of IFAW UK, said: “The future of the world’s elephants hangs in the balance. The UK government must act now and stop China being approved as a trading partner for stockpiled ivory from four African nations, including Zimbabwe. China is awash with illegal ivory, and is the single major destination for illegal ivory, mostly from butchered African elephants. Allowing China to buy these stockpiles will spell disaster for wild elephants in Africa and Asia.”

The International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) campaigns to protect elephants from poaching for the illegal ivory trade. IFAW staff in the UK and colleagues who are attending the Standing Committee are available for interview.

Broadcast quality footage and images are available from IFAW. For more information, or to arrange interviews, please contact Amanda Gent at IFAW on: Mob 07747 567635 or 020 7587 6765, email agent@ifaw.org