On 27 January 2015 the French Minister of Ecology gave instructions to services to not further deliver CITES certificates (1) for re-export of raw tusks or ivory tusk sections. She also called upon the European Commission so as for “Member States to no longer encourage demand by exporting legal ivory, being proven that it plays an important role in development of illegal slaughter of elephants.” This decision was applauded by 39 Non-Governmental Organizations around the world who had asked Madam Royal to take such action. (2)

“On the Trail” n°7.
Information and analysis bulletin on animal poaching and smuggling
1st October – 31st December 2014.
pdf 132 pages, 7.1 Mo.
Rhinoceroses and elephants, pages 62 to 95

The decision to immediately suspend exports of whole or cut elephant tusks from France announced by Madam Royal, Minister of Ecology, is good. France has also vowed to promote such measure within the European Union.

In 2014, over 3 tons of raw ivory were sold in auction houses in France. This entire amount of ivory was bought by foreign citizens, especially from Asia. In France, ivory is sold between 300 and 1000 € per kilo. In China, prices at present are as high as 6000 to 7000 € per kilo.

Raw ivory sales in France and its export encourage speculation on ivory. Using the cover of legal ivory, ivory networks in Asia sell off illegal ivory.

Following Robin des Bois’ invitation, 37 NGOs around the world addressed a letter the 20 January 2015 to Madam Royal, Minister of Ecology, requesting a ban on trade in raw and cut ivory and on exports from France.

Madam Royal answered positively to this request in saying to the French Press Agency that “France first will align its legislation with the most advanced rules in this domain.”

In Germany, since last September, a decree bans exports of tusks and raw ivory bigger than 20 cm long. In the United Kingdom and Sweden, trade and export of raw ivory is no longer authorized.

In a joint letter, 37 Non-Governmental Organizations from Europe, Africa, America and Asia are asking the Minister of Ecology to stop the sale and exports in and from France of raw and cut ivory (letter available online). If France decides to take these two measures, this will participate in stopping elephant poaching, contraband and speculation on ivory.

The quantity of smuggled ivory is 3 time higher than in 1998. In Asia and particularly in China, demand from middle and upper classes is increasing. An endless demand.

Two joyful major events simultaneously occurred and must be celebrated.

1 – For the first time in 27 years, Japan has been banned from harpoon fishing whales in Antarctica. Hundreds of sea mammals thus avoid suffering from pain and death, thanks to a brittle but tangible truce allowing southern hemisphere whales to finally be given a blow-er.

2 –Tamil Nadu’s (India) 98 domestic elephants are on vacation from December 11, 2014, to January 27, 2015. They’ve all been trucked and gathered into two camps – one for religious-use elephants, one for forest landscaping-use elephants – to undergo rejuvenation and physical and mental health monitoring. Meanwhile, mahouts are taught how to better take care of their pachyderms.

Wildlife is bubbling
“On the Trail” n°6, 134 pages of beauty and cruelty
Information and Analysis bulletin on animal poaching and smuggling.
Rhinoceroses and elephants, pages 60 to 97

Open parcels and find poisonous scorpions, search a shop in Malaysia and stumble on a vial of elephant sperm, find out about the latest trafficker’s tricks, meet the rhino mafia, hunt the MGM lion and discover the Tibetan Wild Ass, or Kiang.

Introduction: Several recent studies suggest that violence on animals and abuse of animal’s weakness show predisposition to violence against humans and that witnessing domestic violence or being submitted to parental harassment leads to a predisposition to violence against animals. Violence is a viral and vicious circle …

We are pleased to announce the publication of the 5th edition of « On the Trail », Information and analysis bulletin on animal poaching and smuggling.
1st April – 30th June 2014. 132 pages, 506 events.
Rhinoceroses and elephants, pages 68 to 105

English version (pdf 7,2 Mo):
https://robindesbois.org/wp-content/uploads/ON_THE_TRAIL_5.pdf

Numerous messages have been sent to Robin des Bois from Africa, Asia, Europe and the American continent. They come from Custom officers, CITES delegates, governmental institutions, Non-Governmental Organizations and from the general public. They all testify to the usefulness of “A la Trace” and the English version “On the Trail”, », Information and analysis bulletin on animal poaching and smuggling.

Conservationists urge the EU – the biggest exporter of so-called “old” ivory – to ban all ivory trade

Brussels/2 June 2014. On the eve of inter-governmental meetings in Brussels and Geneva in June and July to debate the fate of elephants, a group of conservation organisations requests all EU governments to urgently halt all commerce in ivory and to destroy all remaining stockpiles. New data shows escalating exports of ivory from the European Union to China and worldwide. The organisations warn that any legal loophole in ivory trade creates the opportunity to launder poached ivory into “legal” trade and thus fuels the killing of elephants.

France, the first European country to destroy its illegal ivory stockpile – 3.4 tonnes in February 2014 – has, at the same time, become a hub for international trade in ivory. Through the intermediary of the Cannes Auction House, raw or carved elephant tusks from 42 elephants were put up for auction on March 8th and May 3rd 2014. Together they weigh 1.4 tonnes. If we believe the discourse of the Cannes Auction House director the French Riviera is populated by old expatriates who worked in Africa. They returned to France with their arms full and wish to increase their pensions and spend their days in tranquillity overlooking the Mediterranean Sea, far from the AK47 bullets harassing African elephants.