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Singapore begun task of crushing 9 tonnes of elephant ivory, to deter poachers

Singapore, a waypoint in shipments of banned animal products between Africa and Asia, is destroying tusks worth an estimated $17.4 million. Photo:Reuters

 

Singapore begun task of crushing 9 tonnes of elephant ivory, to deter poachers

 

By Patryk Krych | The World Daily | AUGUST 12th 2020

 

Around 9 tonnes of elephant ivory, worth $13 million and gathered from around 300 elephants had begun to be crushed in Singapore on Tuesday. This was done as a sign of the country’s rebellion and readiness to fight against illegal poaching and wildlife trade, said the National Parks Board (NParks).

According to authorities, this is the biggest event of its kind, both worldwide and in the most recent years. The total ivory is approximated to have a value of nearly S$18 million ($13 million) and includes the record 8.8 seizure gathered from poachers in July last year from a shipment in the Democratic Republic of Congo destined for Vietnam, which the authorities state came from around 300 murdered elephants.

NParks added that in commemoration of World Elephant Day on Aug 12, the event will be livestreamed online.

Back in 2016, the neighbouring country of Malaysia had destroyed 9.55 tonnes of elephant ivory seized from the illegal wildlife trade.

“Crushing the ivory we have seized ensures that it will never re-enter the market and will help disrupt the global supply chain of illegally traded ivory,” said Desmond Lee, the Minister for National Development, and launcher of the crushing event. “This sends a clear signal to poachers, traffickers and dealers that Singapore resolves to stamp out the illegal trade in wildlife passing through our city.”

Many familiarise Singapore with the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES). Though the country is a focal point for illegal ivory trade, it also puts heavy emphasis and effort into banning and thwarting the trade.

Singapore’s first Centre for Wildlife Forensics (CWF) was also launched by NParks. This is great news that could potentially help curb cases of poaching in the future through disbanding of the illegal wildlife trade. The main purpose of the CWF is to strengthen detection and diagnostic capabilities in identifying and analysing specimens involved in the trade.

“The launch of a Centre for Wildlife Forensics in Singapore represents a major step towards strengthening the country’s knowledge and capabilities,” said the CITES secretary general Ivonne Higuero. “The Centre will establish a dedicated capacity building entity for enforcement officers, providing training for the complex task of detecting illegal wildlife and wildlife products.”

She added that “This is exactly the kind of response that is needed to tackle illegal wildlife crime. Forensic applications must fully be used to combat illegal trade in wildlife.”

Every day, an estimated 100 African elephants are killed by poachers, leaving only somewhere around 400,000 of the endangered species left alive, according to environmentalists. They’re typically sought after for their ivory, as well as their meat, bones, and various body parts with their individual uses – some medicinal.

Many Asian countries such as Vietnam or China seek the materials for the purpose of developing them into ornaments, or jewellery. R. Raghunathan, CEO of World Wide Fund for Nature Singapore said that “Elephant poaching is at crisis levels in Asia and Africa due to the illegal trade.”

 

By Patryk Krych | © The World Daily 2020

 

 

Categories:
Environment
Tags:
AsiaSingaporePoachersElephantsWildlife