Case Three: Ivory Trade

Abstract

International trade in African elephant ivory has been subject to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) since 1978. In that year, the African elephant was listed in the CITES Appendix II, which regulates trade in the items that are deemed to be at the risk of becoming endangered. The worldwide trade ban on African elephant ivory dates back to the seventh CITES conference in October 1989 when the African elephant was listed in the CITES Appendix I, which bans the commercial trade in endangered species and their products. During the process leading up to the conference, an ivory trade ban became the most politically important issue. Japan, the biggest importer of ivory, became a target of criticism by environmental NGOs, the mass media, and the public in North America and Western Europe. Eventually, in 1989, Japan agreed to list the African elephant in the CITES Appendix I.KeywordsJapanese GovernmentAfrican ElephantElephant PopulationCites SecretariatCites RegimeThese keywords were added by machine and not by the authors. This process is experimental and the keywords may be updated as the learning algorithm improves.