The illegal wildlife trade generates an estimated US$19-billion a year, ranking fourth on the list of the most lucrative illegal activities in the world behind drugs, counterfeiting and human trafficking.

 

Poachers target to sell it in East Asia, passing through the UAE. This illicit trade is responsible for the recurring mass slaughter of elephants and this has to stop.

 

The UAE sent out this message to wildlife traffickers as it crushed more than 10 tonnes of raw and crafted ivory seized through the years from its points of entry.

 

No official estimates were released as to the value of the ivory that was crushed.

 

There is no known market for ivory in the UAE but it is an important link as it is a transit point between Africa and East Asia.

 

Destroying the tusks, therefore, sends a strong message to wildlife traffickers that they have no chance of smuggling ivory through UAE, Dr Rashid Ahmad Bin Fahd, Minister of Environment and Water said.

 

The UAE is the first Arab country to crush its ivory stocks, after the US, China, UK, France, among others.

 

The ministry retained a portion of the samples of ivory to be used for scientific research and awareness. The crushed ivory will be buried and disposed of in designated areas to prevent any form of reuse.

 

John E. Scanlon, Secretary-General of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES), to which the UAE is a signatory, said, “Today’s important event in Dubai serves to raise public awareness about the impacts of illegal elephant ivory trade and the determination of the United Arab Emirates and the global community to put an end to it.”

 

 

PHOTO: Authorities on Wednesday crushed more than 10 tonnes of raw and crafted ivory at Al Ghusais landfill.

CREDIT: Ahmed Ramzan/Gulf News.