The Ivory Trade Crisis: History, Poaching, and Conservation 🐘
The African ivory trade has wiped out millions of elephants. Learn about the 1989 ban, the current poaching crisis, and what drives the illegal market.
A History of Ivory and Decline
The ivory trade began with the colonization of Africa, dating back to the 14th century. European consumers drove demand before the 20th century.
A major resurgence hit in the 1970s, heavily pressuring African and Asian elephants.
- By the 1970s, Japan and Western countries (Europe/North America) consumed about 80% of the global trade.
- The African elephant population dropped sharply from 1.3 million in 1979 to only 600,000 in 1989.
- During this decade, roughly 75,000 elephants were killed annually, mostly illegally.
The 1989 Ban and its Failure
The Initial Success
After many failed attempts to control the trade, CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species) instituted an international ivory ban in 1989. This ban initially worked:
- The poaching epidemic was greatly reduced.
- Ivory prices fell, and markets in the U.S. and Europe closed.
The Trade Reopens
The success was undercut when CITES allowed the African elephant to be removed from the endangered list in certain countries.
- 2008: China and Japan bought 108 tonnes of ivory in a “one-off” sale.
- This legal sale did not stop poaching; instead, China’s rising demand caused the price of ivory to greatly increase.
What Drives Poaching Today?
Poaching is no longer a small issue; it’s linked to organized crime and terrorist groups. It is driven by three main factors:
- Demand: Ivory is a status symbol, primarily in China, driving the illegal market.
- Poverty: Poaching offers a powerful allure of quick income; one elephant’s tusks can equal over a decade of farming wages.
- Weak Governance: Poor government systems allow the illegal trade and wildlife trafficking to flourish.
Key Stats and Conservation Status
The current poaching crisis threatens the survival of all African elephants:
- The African elephant population is now around 500,000, down from 10 million 50 years ago.
- Forest elephants are assessed as Critically Endangered.
- Savanna elephants are assessed as Endangered (2021 IUCN Red List).
- Poaching hotspots are shifting, with recent increases reported in Northern Botswana and Namibia (2023/2024).
Education and Anti-Poaching Efforts
Ignorance and Online Trade
Many consumers are unaware of the violent origins of ivory.
- A 2007 survey found that 70% of Chinese people did not know ivory came from dead elephants.
- Despite awareness campaigns, online purchasing remains easy and anonymous. Antique dealers often falsely claim ivory is from the pre-1989 ban to sell it legally.
Action and Technology
Conservationists and advocates are fighting back:
- GPS Tracking: Technology like GPS collars allows groups (like the Mara Elephant Project) to track elephants, enabling rescues and data collection .
- Advocacy: Organizations like Elephanatics raise public awareness through events like the Global March for Elephants and Rhinos, driving policy change.
- For four consecutive years, Elephanatics hosted the Global March for elephants and Rhinos march in Vancouver, B.C. We brought awareness to the poaching crisis facing the African elephant and rhino through reputable speakers in the field of conservation. Education is one of our pillars of advocacy and is a key proponent to initiate policy changes within our government.
- Dr. Jake Wall collars a bull elephant with GPS technology. GPS tracking enables conservationists to track the movements and location of elephants. This helps in rescuing injured or orphaned elephants due to poaching. Learn more here about various technologies used to collect data on elephants at Mara Elephant Project.
Why do the Chinese continue to Consume Ivory?
A survey done in 2007 in Beijing by IFAW, discovered that 70% of Chinese polled did not know that ivory came from dead elephants. This led to the organization’s first ad campaign — a simple poster explaining the actual origins of ivory. A campaign done in 2013 found that the ad had been seen by 75% by China’s urban population, and heavily impacted their view on ivory. Among people classified as “high risk” — that is, those likeliest to buy ivory — the proportion who would actually do so after seeing the ad was almost slashed by half. With these statistics you would think that ivory demand would have gone down. But, it has not.
Antique shops continue to pretend that the only ivory they hold is from the pre-1989 world ivory trade ban. This way, it is legal to sell. Much of the purchasing is done on the internet. It is easy, cheap and anonymous. According to the International Fund for Animal Welfare, at least 18,590 animal-related items were for sale online in the country at the beginning of last year. Nearly 79 percent involved ivory.
Ivory is a very prestigious commodity and fits the cultural status quo. It is unfortunate that some that do know about the violent trade continue to support it by buying ivory.