1.6 million people around the world have voiced their absolute opposition to the ivory trade in an online petition aimed at the EU, ahead of the major CITES conference next month when politicians, wildlife experts and conservation groups from 182 member countries will assemble to discuss, amongst many other things, which species will be classified as endangered.
If the African elephant is classified as endangered in all countries, they will be afforded the highest protection across the board and the ivory trade will be outlawed world-wide. The EU, WWF and a number of African states are voting to enable the trade in some states which will trigger both an increase in the supply and demand in ivory. In other words, more elephants will die. The next conference that can make such decisions on classifications will not be held until another 3 years. We’ve lost 100,000 elephants in a 3 year timespan before. There are 400,000 African elephants left. It is anticipated that they will be wiped off the face of this earth within 25 years. There just isn’t any time to lose and immediate action must be made. Please join 1.6 million others on Avaaz and tell the EU that the ivory trade must be banned once and for all.