Millions of elephants originally populated the African continent. Over the course of the 20th century, their numbers were dramatically reduced, and in some regions they were even eradicated. Ivory poaching halved Africa's elephant population between 1979 and 1989, from around 1.2 million to 600,000. Today, only 422,000 animals are considered to be safe.
Although the Washington Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) banned the international ivory trade in 1989 and poaching fell significantly, some governments were calling for the trade to be resumed just eight years later. Often, it has a semi-legal status, as in Zimbabwe and Tanzania, where ivory carvings can be exported for "non-commercial purposes." This legal ambiguity provides the perfect cover for illegal traders.
The ivory trade has boomed in recent years, particularly in Asian countries. In 2000, three African countries exported 50 tons of ivory from state stockpiles to Japan; in 2008, 108 tons were exported to Japan and China. This is big business for traders. Around 3.8 tons of ivory are worth 2.5 million euros on the black market alone. This makes it difficult to get the problem under control. Illegal trade has increased dramatically, particularly since 2011. Originally, one million elephants inhabited the African continent. Over the course of the 20th century, elephant populations were drastically reduced and in some regions even eradicated. Ivory poaching halved Africa's elephant population from around 1.2 million to 600,000 between 1979 and 1989. Today, the population is estimated at 422,000 animals, with the highest estimate being 670,000 ( http://www.elephantdatabase.org ). Although the CITES Convention, adopted in 1989, banned the international ivory trade and poaching declined significantly as the main markets in Europe collapsed, eight years later some governments called for the trade to be resumed. Often the trade has a semi-legal status, as in Zimbabwe and Tanzania, where ivory carvings can be exported on a "non-commercial" basis. This legal ambiguity is the perfect cover for illegal traders.
The ivory trade has boomed in recent years, particularly in Asian countries. In 2000, three African countries exported 50 tons of ivory from state stockpiles to Japan, and in 2008 another 108 tons to Japan and China. This is big business for the traders. Around 3.8 tons of ivory alone are worth 2.5 million euros on the black market. It is therefore difficult to get the problem under control. The illegal trade has increased dramatically, especially since 2011.