For the first time since joining the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) in 1976, India did not vote against a proposal to reopen the ivory trade.
The proposal, which would have allowed a routine restricted trade in ivory from Namibia, Botswana, South Africa and Zimbabwe, was defeated 83-15 at the 19th meeting of the CITES Conference (CoP19) in Panama City on Friday evening.
Earlier, Namibia agreed to relocate the leopards this summer. At the time, India’s vote was in line with Namibia’s call for a break from its past stance.
Under the agreement, signed in July and first reported by The Indian Express on October 12, the two countries pledged to promote the “sustainable use and management of biodiversity” by supporting each other in “international forums, including meetings” of CITES.
Although the word “ivory” is not mentioned, Namibia has sought India’s support for its long-standing proposal to allow trade in ivory under its commitment to support “sustainable management” in CITES.
Actually, that’s all it said. Romeo Muyunda, Chief Public Relations Officer of Namibia’s Ministry of Environment, Forestry and Tourism, told The Indian Express last month, “We have approached India to support us in this matter as per the terms of the agreement”.
Responding to the report, the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change said, “The Government of India has not received any written communication from the Republic of Namibia regarding the lifting of the ban on ivory trade”.
Asked on Saturday why India did not vote and whether it was a policy shift, Environment Ministry Director General of Forests Chandra Prakash Goyal said he was not aware of the circumstances surrounding the vote. “The important thing is that the (ivory trade) scheme was defeated,” he said.
However, when contacted on Saturday (November 19), Muyunda declined to comment. For more than three decades, India has opposed the international ivory trade. In fact, India designed the iconic CITES logo in 1981 in the shape of an elephant.
The ivory trade was banned globally in 1989 when all African elephant species were added to the CITES Appendix.
Between 1999 and 2008, Namibia, along with Zimbabwe and, later, Botswana and South Africa, allowed the one-time sale of ivory captured by CITES from natural elephant deaths and poachers.
Subsequently, Namibia’s proposal to allow routine controlled trade in ivory by delisting four countries’ elephant populations from CITES Appendix II was rejected at CoP17 (2016) and CoP18 (2019). At CoP19, this plan was replaced by Zimbabwe, but again met the same fate.
Kenya, Congo, the European Union, the United Kingdom, the United States, Israel, the United Arab Emirates, Australia and Argentina voted against the proposal, while Tanzania, Zambia, Japan, China and Thailand were supportive members. Uganda, Brazil, Mexico and Indonesia abstained.
Namibia and other southern African countries argue that their elephant populations are rebounding and that their stockpile of tusks could be sold internationally to generate much-needed revenue to protect elephants and empower communities.
Opponents of the ivory trade counter that sharp spikes in elephant poaching have fueled demand for any type of supply recorded around the world since sales were once allowed by CITES in 1999 and 2008.
Coincidentally, at the same CoP19 on Thursday, Namibia voted against India’s proposal to allow sustainable commercial use of North Indian rosewood.
The first batch of leopards from Namibia was released on September 17. Three of the 8 animals have been transferred from the already isolated areas to the larger park in Kuno National Park, Madhya Pradesh. The tigers have started hunting.
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