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The Earl of Caithness
-2--
19 July 1989
They stated they would not be bound by the treaty and intandad to continue ivory trade regardless of world opinion.
Such threats would ring hollow if they were made only by a few individual habitat states, But when they evoked sympathy from major consumer parties, the threat of a trade link appeared,
Such trade, we believe you are well aware, would likely affect more than the elephants of southern Africa. There is now ample evidence implicating South Africa in massive laundering of ivory poached in Angola, Zambia and other African states. Recent report, calculate that as much as 40 tonnes of contraband ivory are laundered in South Africe annually. We suspect the actual amount is somewhat more than this.
In any event, the ivory debacle is still far from being resolved and it will take yet considerable effort to afford proper protection for Africa's surviving elephant populations. We applaud the initiatives taken by several African states to propose the species for CITES Appendix I, and certainly we cheer Kenya's noble gesture in incinerating 12 tonnes of contraband ivory.
But the elephants need more than initiatives and noble gestures. They also need a two-thirds majority vote in October.
To this end, we would like to encourage you to pen
a few letters on their behalf.
In particular, three of the proposals to transfer the African elephant to CITES Appendix I have been presented by member states of the British Commonwealth of Nations: Kanya, Tanzania and The Gambia.
We believe that the Environment Ministers of other states within the Commonwealth would read with considerable sympathy any correspondence from you urging their support of these proposals from sister states within the Commonwealth. A few letters from you might win a number of key votes which just might save the day for the elephants. Their fate rests in the hands of so few voting states.
Please accept our good wishes, and full appreciation of all the work you have done so far for the elephants,
Sincerely yours,
Prof. Pierre Pfeffer
Tutela?
Dr. Bill Clark