ナミビアで象牙８トンを競売、日本と中国が落札

『　アフリカ南部ナミビアで２８日、象牙の競売が実施され、日本と中国の業者が計７．９トンを約１２０万ドル（約１億１５００万円）で落札した。平均価格は１キロあたり１６４ドル（約１万５６００円）で、日本が３．７トン、中国が４．２トンを購入した。

象牙の取り引きは、絶滅のおそれのある野生動植物の種の国際取引に関する条約（ＣＩＴＥＳ、ワシントン条約）により、１９８９年から全面的に禁止されていた。

しかし、ゾウの生息数の回復したと見られる国々が流通管理に問題ないとされた日本と中国に対して一時的に販売することを認めた。

象牙の競売を実施するのはナミビアのほか、ボツワナとジンバブエ、南アフリカ。販売量はボツワナが４８トン、ジンバブエが４トン、南アフリカが５６トンとなっている。

象牙の取引が一時認められたことにより、今後、象の密猟が増えるのではないか、と懸念されている。』

Ivory has been a most prestigious material for carving.

『　Authorized ivory sale nets $1 million. Goal is to use funds for conservation, but some activists oppose strategy.
The first ivory auction in a decade sold over 7 tons of tusks to Chinese and Japanese bidders Tuesday, raising more than $1 million for elephant conservation.The sale took place under a special exemption to the international ban on trade in ivory.

Last year the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species(CITES) ruled that Botswana, Namibia, South Africa and Zimbabwe could make a one-time sale of 108 tons of government ivory stocks.
Some environmentalists have condemned the sales, fearing it will encourage smuggling and poaching.

Tuesday's auction, held behind closed doors in the capital, was monitored by Willem Wijnstekers, CITES Secretary General. In all, 7.2 tons of ivory were sold, fetching a total of $1.3 million at an average price of $164 per kilogram (2.2 pounds).
The two Chinese and two Japanese buyers were not named.

Most of the tusks came from elephants who died of natural causes. Southern Africa is home to about 300,000 elephants — half of all the giant creatures on the continent.
Namibia had expected to sell over 9 tons of ivory and the remaining tusks will be distributed to communities involved in making traditional jewelry.
Over 44 tons will be sold in Botswana on Friday, while auctions next month will see 51 tons being offered in South Africa and almost 4 tons offered in Zimbabwe.
No new sales from the four southern African countries will be allowed for the next nine years.

Ivory trade was banned globally in 1989, but reviving elephant populations allowed African countries to make a one-time sale a decade later to Japan, the only country which had previously won the right to import.
In July, CITES said China should also be allowed to bid for ivory as it had dramatically improved its enforcement of ivory trade rules.

The organization said it will monitor Chinese and Japanese domestic trade controls to ensure traders do not use this opportunity to sell ivory of illegal origin.　』

一度禁止されたのに、こういうことしてたら、非難の嵐だよね。しかも中国といっしょになんて。
象牙製品を買う人がいなければ、こういう取引も成り立たないのに。象牙って何をつくるの？ハンコとか？ビリヤードの珠とか？別に、象牙じゃなくてもいいよね。
自然に死んだ象の象牙だあったら、有効利用もありだと思うけど、自然に死んだのか密猟によって殺されたのか、象牙だけ見たんじゃ判別できないしね。象牙の“需要”をなくすしかないんだろうね。

In Japan, Ivory has been used to make billiard balls, jewelry, Inkan etc....
Inkan are the name stamps used on formal documents instead of a signature in East Asia. Because each is custom-made and unique, it has a legal status similar to (but not quite as serious as) a signature in Western countries.

As long as ivory is in demand for making these product, the ivory trade will be never end.
We should use substitute materials to replace ivory.
It is a big shame not only because Japan drive African ivory trade but also Japan do this with China!