These photos in the womb help humans, I wonder if this will work for pachyderms as well

For the past nine years, there has been a moratorium on trading ivory – not that the ban has stopped poachers.

In 1979 there were 1.3 million elephants inhabiting the plains of Africa.  Today, just 30 short years later, there are fewer than 400,000.  Imagine what might happen if the ban on ivory trade was lifted.   Well guess what?

Today representatives of 175 countries met at a UN led meeting in Doha, Qatar.  On the agenda?  Tanzania and Zambia have put in a proposal to down-list local populations of elephants to allow new stockpile sales of ivory.  That’s right, they want to put a stop to the ivory trade moratorium.

You might think other African nations would be backing their neighbors’ proposal, but in fact, there are 23 African nations in favor of continuing the ban.  And now for the big twist, Tanzania and Zambia’s biggest backers are members of the European Union.

The main markets for the ivory tusks are China and Japan, so you know those two countries are also backing the halt of the moratorium.

A vote will be taken at the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species, which started in Doha this weekend.

The poachers slaughter the elephants and leave them die. Sickening!

In the meantime – or even after the vote, you can make your voice heard.

Avaaz.org is an international civic organization that promotes activism on issues such as climate change, human rights, and religious conflicts. Its stated mission is to “ensure that the views and values of the world’s people inform global decision-making.” The organization operates in thirteen languages, and claims more than three million members worldwide.

Avaaz is a word that translates to “voice” or “noise” in the languages Hindi, Urdu, Dari, Persian, and other languages.

The web site has started a petition to keep the ban in place. The web site states:

Save the Elephants: STOP BLOODY IVORY

This week, two countries are seeking to break the worldwide ban on ivory trading — a decision that could wipe out whole elephant populations and bring these magnificent animals closer to extinction.

But many African states and conservationists support extending the ban on elephant-slaughtering ivory trade. The decision will be made at a UN meeting in Doha starting on 13 March, and global public opinion could tip the balance!

Sign the petition now using the form below, then spread the word — let’s deliver hundreds of thousands of signatures to the UN convention before it’s too late:

To the 175 parties of the UN Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species:

As citizens from around the world, we call on you to reject any exemptions in the global ban on the ivory trade, to extend that ban for at least 20 years, and to take all necessary steps to enforce that ban and protect the elephants.

Protect the elephants!

The following video is about the Kenya Wildlife Service’s efforts to keep the ban in effect.  A description of the video:

http://www.ntv.co.ke
President Mwai Kibaki has allowed one minister to travel out of the country during the current ban on foreign travel. Wildlife minister Noah Wekesa will be among the strong delegation from Kenya to Doha to push for the upholding of the ban on ivory trade and as NTV’s Brenda Mulinya reports, a tough task lies ahead for the delegation.