First in Europe: France destroys three tonnes of illegal ivory

The French government today (Thur) destroyed three tonnes of illegal ivory seized by Customs over 20 years, keeping a promise made by President Hollande during the Elysee Summit last December.

The ivory was destroyed near the Eiffel Tower in the presence of the Minister of Ecology, Sustainable Development and Energy, Philippe Martin, and Nicolas Hulot, Special Envoy of the President of the Republic for the Protection of the Planet.

This stock of ivory was worth an estimated one million euros, and included 698 elephant tusks and 15,357 carved pieces seized by Customs, mainly at the Roissy Airport. In 2012 alone, the French Customs Administration conducted 57 investigations which resulted in seizures of 346 pieces of raw or carved ivory mainly from the Congo, Nigeria and Guinea.

“This strong and highly symbolic operation reflects the determination of the French government to combat ivory trafficking and crimes against wildlife at large. The French President is sending a clear and strong message to traffickers and consumers alike not only about the environmental stakes, but also the security risks,” explained Céline Sissler-Bienvenu, Director of IFAW France and Francophone Africa.

France is the first European Union member country to destroy part of its stock, following in the footsteps of the United States which recently destroyed part of its stock in November 2013 and China – the biggest market for ivory – which destroyed 6.2 tonnes on January 6.

According to announcements made by the French President, a criminal circular about trafficking protected species was sent to public prosecutors in December to inform them of the issue and the legal tools at their disposal to better prosecute for this type of crime. In addition, fines for trafficking protected species will be increased substantially and ivory seized in the future will be investigated and destroyed according to a stricter protocol currently being drafted.

“IFAW strongly supports governments that decide to destroy their stocks of ivory. Each year, 30,000 to 50,000 elephants are poached for their ivory. Some populations are on the brink of extinction, particularly in Central Africa. This is unacceptable. Destroying stocks makes ivory unusable, thereby reducing the volume in circulation: the killing of elephants will not stop until the demand for their ivory ceases,” added Ms Sissler-Bienvenu.

Seizures of illegal ivory in the world continue to increase: 24.3 tonnes in 2011, 30 tonnes in 2012 and 41.5 tonnes in 2013. Togolese Customs officials recently seized 1.7 tonnes of ivory on January 23, then 2.1 tonnes less than one week later. The containers were bound for Vietnam.

Most of the illegal ivory is sent to Asia – China in particular – where this highly coveted ‘white gold’ has seen its value as an investment vehicle rise considerably.