Elephants (Hansard, 21 October 1994)

§ Mr. Tony Banks
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what is his Department's estimate of the population of African elephants prior to the world ban on the trade in elephant products and the current population.

§ Sir Paul Beresford
The latest update of figures, prepared by the African Elephant database for the eighth meeting of the conference of the parties to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species in Kyoto in 1992, reported an African elephant population of approximately 609,000 across the continent, with a range between 549,000 and 652,000. However, according to the
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International Union for the Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources African elephant specialist group which now manage the AED, the quality of origin of those data is so varied that it would not be possible to establish population trends from comparisons with more up-to-date population estimates which it is preparing for the forthcoming CITES meeting in Florida. It also advises that due to the imprecision of current survey techniques, the true impacts of the ivory ban on elephant numbers might not be expected to show significant trends for a decade or more.

§ Mr. Tony Banks
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment who organised the recent meeting in Botswana to consider the situation where trade in elephant products could be resumed; which countries attended the meeting; what was the agenda; who represented Her Majesty's Government; and what was the outcome.

§ Sir Paul Beresford
The United Kingdom organised the meeting on behalf of the European Union. Details of participants and the purpose of meeting were given in the reply given by my hon. Friend the Minister for Environment and Countryside to the Member for Thanet, North (Mr. Gale) on 20 July 1994Official Report, columns 314–15.
All the countries listed in that reply were represented with the exception of Congo, Gabon, Uganda and Zambia. The detailed agenda is included in a report of the meeting which is expected to be available shortly. The British high commissioner for Botswana and two officials from my Department represented the United Kingdom at the meeting, which succeeded in terms of improving dialogue between African elephant range states. A statement, agreed by the participants and issued at the close of the meeting, describes the outcome and a copy has been placed in the Library.

§ Mr. Tony Banks
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if Her Majesty's Government will oppose the moves by the South African Government to downlist their elephant population from appendix I to appendix II of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species; and if he will make a statement.

§ Sir Paul Beresford
The Government have not yet decided their position on South Africa's proposal to be allowed to trade in elephant meat and hides but not ivory. We wish to take account of the views of range states and the report of the panel of experts established by CITES before reaching a conclusion. Maintaining the conservation status of the African elephant is our overriding concern and we will not therefore support any outcome which in our judgment puts this at risk.

§ Mr. Tony Banks
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what estimates he has made of the revival of illegal trade in elephant ivory should South Africa succeed in downlisting its elephant population from appendix I to appendix II of CITES.

§ Sir Paul Beresford
South Africa's proposal to CITES relates only to the possibility of international trade in elephant hide and meat, not ivory. Unfortunately an illegal trade in ivory continues, but there is no evidence currently available to my right hon. Friend to show that allowing a trade in hides from South Africa would affect the ivory position one way or the other. We are anxious, however, to learn the view of other Africa range states. The United Kingdom has tabled a resolution for the CITES meeting calling for greater effort and more international 349W co-operation on the enforcement of wildlife sale controls. If, as we hope, this resolution leads to action, it should have a real impact on the illegal ivory trade.