In September 2004, a month prior to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES): 13^th Meeting of the Conference of the Parties (CoP) being convened in Bangkok between October 2 to 14, 2004, there is currently no ivory for sale in any Thai Hotels Association (THA) member hotel in Bangkok.

Ivory has been prized since ancient times for its lustre, texture, and durability – qualities making it particularly suitable for carving decorative items. Archaeological evidence in China shows ivory jewellery existed almost 5,000 years ago and there is documented evidence of ivory imports to Japan dating back over 1,300 years. In Victorian England, drawing rooms were filled with ivory knick-knacks, while “the ivories” became a colloquial term for dice and piano keys. Over the centuries, elephants have been killed to supply the lucrative trade in this precious commodity, often referred to as “white gold”. Illegal ivory trade is a serious global problem that is ravaging elephant populations in Africa and Asia.

Taking ivory out of Thailand is illegal. Taking it abroad is almost certainly illegal. (This is true for at least the 166 signatory countries of CITES, the international convention which prohibits international trade in ivory.)

Surveys conducted by WWF Thailand in December 2000 revealed almost 28,000 pieces of ivory valued at $3.5 million openly on sale in Bangkok. Around 40% of this was found in shops on the premises of 35 well-known hotels, all members of the Thai Hotels Association (THA). Most of this ivory was thought to have been illegally imported from Africa.

These findings were brought to the attention of the THA who immediately started working with WWF Thailand to address this issue in earnest. Actions included discussion of the issue in the monthly meetings of the THA, articles in the THA newsletter, as well as official letters (and less formal personal approaches) to the managers of individual hotels.

Through the THA-WWF Thailand collaboration, follow-up surveys by WWF in October 2003, revealed that these efforts were starting to bear fruit; only half as many hotels were found which still had ivory for sale in shops located on their premises, while the volume and value of ivory seen in hotels had decreased by as much as 80%.

But THA did not stop there. At a WWF Press Briefing held at the Foreign Correspondent’s Club of Thailand on November 4^th 2003, a message from THA included the following statement: “Whilst there is little we can do to stop the slaughter of elephants in Africa, we can certainly do a lot to prevent the sale of articles made of ivory in outlets within our hotels” going on to say “We are not proud of the fact that 19 of the 122 hotels which are THA members in Bangkok are still on the WWF list, and we assure you we will be acting promptly to remind those hotels that they should do all they can to ensure that the practice stops forthwith, and that they demonstrate their responsibility to the world community by taking immediate action in this regard."

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Bangkok Total Hotels (n=111) Survey 1 (December 2000) 35 with ivory   Pieces of ivory 15,465 15,465 Value of ivory (THB) 61,319,380 61,319,380 Survey 2 (October 2003) 17 with ivory   Pieces of ivory 5,355 5,355 Value of ivory (THB) 11,589,270 11,589,270 SEPTEMBER 2004 NO IVORY FOR SALE 0 Pieces of ivory 0 0 Value of ivory (THB) 0 0

Throughout 2004, THA has remained determined in their efforts. WWF showed that only 8 hotels had any ivory left on their premises in July 2004. In August 2004, this was down to one and in September 2004, a month prior to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES): 13^th Meeting of the Conference of the Parties (CoP) being convened in Bangkok between October 2 to 14, 2004, there is currently no ivory for sale in any THA member hotel in Bangkok.

“This is a great success, showing what can be achieved through collaboration with determined and effective partners” says Dr. Robert Mather, Country Representative of WWF Thailand, adding that “Under the leadership of Khun Prakit Chinamourphong,
Vice President, the Thai Hotels Association has shown itself to be an organization that not only promotes the business interests of its members, but also champions responsible behaviour and care for wildlife and nature – this is a great example for the tourism industry not only in Thailand, but throughout the world, and is something that Thai people should be rightly proud of”

The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora: Conference of the Parties, or CITES CoP13, is a major international conference of 166 nations during which a number of wildlife trade and conservation issues will be discussed.

Remaining elephant populations are severely threatened; the 30,000 – 50,000 Asian elephants alive today represent about one tenth of the numbers of African elephants. In Thailand, it is estimated that there are approximately only 2,300 elephants left in the wild population.

For more information, visit:
www.wwfthai.org
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THE ASIAN ELEPHANT
In Asian elephants, only some of the males have tusks; these are much lighter than the African equivalent. Most African elephants of both sexes have tusks, which continue to grow throughout the animal’s life, which can be over 60 years. The heaviest pair of tusks ever recorded weighed 180kg. These days, weights over 90kg are very rare.

The Asian elephant was once found from the Tigris-Euphrates in West Asia eastwards through Persia and the Indian sub-continent, South and South-east Asia including the islands of Sri Lanka, Sumatra, Java and Borneo, and into China northwards to the Yangtze River. It has already disappeared from West Asia, Persia, Java and most of China. Remaining populations are severely threatened. The 30,000 – 50,000 Asian elephant alive today represent about one tenth of the numbers of African elephants.

The Asian elephant Elephas maximus was listed on Appendix I of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) at the first Conference of the parties (CoP1) in 1976. At the same time, the African elephant Loxodonta Africana was placed on Appendix II. With the rapid decline in the 1970s and 1980s it was up-listed to Appendix I in 1989 – thereby affecting a global ban on all commercial trade of elephants, their products and derivatives.

Skilled Asian carvers prefer to use ivory from Asian elephants as it is finer and more malleable, less brittle, allowing more detailed carvings to be made. Consequently, raw Asian ivory has normally been 30-40% more expensive than raw African ivory in Asia.

The standard of ivory carving today is not as high as it once was. Many carvers simply seek to produce large numbers of similar objects for the immediate market. Traditional craftsmanship is being replaced by quantity not quality attitudes in response to modern market demand. The backbone of the illegal trade today includes mass produced curios, souvenirs, and “hanko” – the small carved signature seals used in Japan.The global trade in illegal ivory today is a multi-million dollar business.

TIPS FOR RESPONSIBLE TOURISTS AND VISITORS
Help Protect Our Rich Natural Heritage of Wildlife
What Not To Buy or Take Home With You
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For more information, visit:
www.wwfthai.org
www.panda.org
www.traffic.org