Ivory Update

Hong Kong is fast becoming the Fort Knox of ivory.

Useful link:
http://edition.cnn.com/2013/03/15/world/asia/hong-kong-ivory/index.html?hpt=hp_bn8

Blood Ivory

Insightful post.

Useful links:
http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/2012/10/ivory/christy-text
http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/2012/10/ivory/stirton-photography

Ivory Wars

Jeffrey Gettleman's report on ivory was interesting. I think if the Chinese stop buying ivory, the demand will be less. Period.

Useful links:
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/09/04/world/africa/africas-elephants-are-being-slaughtered-in-poaching-frenzy.html?_r=1&ref=global-home
http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/people/g/jeffrey_gettleman/index.html
http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/136
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Garamba_National_Park

The Illegal Ivory Trade

The BBC report was insightful. Many thanks.

Useful links:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-17675816
http://www.kws.org
http://lewacampaign.org
http://www.cites.org

Ivory Update

Ivory traffickers have simply shifted smuggling routes and they are winning. Sad really.

Useful link:
http://www.cites.org

AGTA Gem Fair Tucson 2012

Gemological seminars at every level--from basic to advanced. Don't miss.

Useful link:
http://www.agta.org

Rhino Horn Seizure

I think Guangzhou's large ivory carving industry will make it nearly impossible to curb horns and ivory coming out of Africa. Sad really.

Useful link:
http://www.traffic.org

Ivory Update

The ins and outs of owning ivory.

Useful link:
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/roadshow

Ivory Update

Kenya has burned ivory in fight against poachers. I hope it sends a clear message to criminal networks worldwide.

Useful links:
http://www.kws.org
http://www.worldwildlife.org
http://www.cites.org

The Begram Ivory

Remarkable story. http://www.britishmuseum.org

Ivory Update

The Economist report on ivory sales was interesting. Those in favour of such sales (most notably, the countries which seek to make them) say they allow countries to benefit from having elephants, and help to finance elephant conservation and protection. Those against them (some conservation charities and some academics in the field) argue that any sale of ivory will lead to an increase in poaching by stimulating demand, and that little of the money raised actually goes to elephants. I think both sides are right in this.

Useful links:
www.cites.org
www.iied.org
www.bornfree.org.uk

Ivory Update

Robin McKie's viewpoints in the Guardian about illegal ivory trading was interesting and insightful. Killing for tusks is a particularly gruesome trade. Elephants are intelligent animals whose sophisticated social ties are exploited by poachers. They will often shoot young elephants to draw in a grieving parent, which is then killed for its ivory. So true.

Useful links:
www.cites.org
www.traffic.org
www.wwf.org

Traffic Report

Richard Black's report in the BBC News about the illegal ivory trade in Africa + the Chinese connection was interesting.

Useful links:
www.traffic.org
www.cites.org

Ivory Tagging

According to Professor Sam Wasser, director of the University of Washington's Centre for Conservation Biology, where the DNA elephant map was developed, scientists are able to pinpoint the area of Africa where smugglers are slaughtering elephants to feed the worldwide illegal ivory trade. Ivory is now traded globally in the same illegal manner as drugs and weapons. Hats of to Professor Sam and his team!

Useful links:
http://conservationbiology.net
http://depts.washington.edu/conserv/Introduction.html

A Remarkable Ivory Carving

German 'Venus' may be oldest yet
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/8047319.stm

Useful links:
www.urgeschichte.uni-tuebingen.de
www.nature.com

The expert's interpretation of the artefact (mammoth ivory) via radiocarbon dating technique was interesting.

Ivory Ban 2009

eBay bans sale of ivory products
http://www.independent.co.uk/environment/nature/ebay-bans-sale-of-ivory-products-1220035.html

Useful links:
www.ifaw.org
www.worldwildlife.org
www.cites.org

The ivory ban comes into effect today and I hope it works.

Ivory Update

Richard Black's opinion piece in BBC News on ivory auction + other viewpoints @ http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/7693816.stm was educational. Thanks Richard.

Useful links:
www.cites.org
www.bornfree.org.uk

Ivory Update

EBay has announced a worldwide ban on the sale of ivory products on its auction websites from 2009.

Useful links:
www.ebay.com
www.ifaw.org
www.hsus.org
www.cites.org

EBay's decision is commendable.

Ivory Update

The standing committee of the UN's Convention on Endangered Species (Cites) is meeting in Geneva to discuss Asian tiger farming, the export of mahogany from the Amazon basin and a proposal to allow China to import elephant ivory. Many experts believe elephant ivory is a booming black-market commodity worth hundreds of millions of dollars, and China is the biggest customer. I think giving China the right to import more ivory legally will simply fuel the black market.

Useful link:
www.cites.org

Find Of A Lifetime

Geologists prospecting for diamonds off the coast of Namibia were lucky enough to find a 500-year-old shipwreck (Portuguese/Spanish) with tons of copper ingots, elephant tusks, gold coins ++ I think the leaky vessel may have caught up in a storm or the cargo (treasures) may have been too heavy, tipping the ship.

Useful links:
www.namdeb.com
www.noaa.gov