This week a meeting of the Convention for International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) has allowed China to bid on 108 tons of Elephant Ivory from Botswana, Namibia, South Africa, and Zimbabwe. International trade in Elephant ivory was banned in 1989. In 1999 a one time sale of Ivory was allowed to Japan. Conservationists believe that allowing the sale of ivory, even in one time limited sales, contributes to the murdering and poaching of Elephants. The Ivory trade almost made Elephants extinct before 1989.

Robbie Marsland, UK director of the International Fund for Animal Welfare, which wants an outright ban on the trade, said: "We are deeply disappointed. The decision plays Russian roulette with wild elephants. Allowing new ivory to be imported into China will stimulate demand and create a smokescreen for illegal ivory to be laundered into the legal market."

[source]

Why was China allowed to bid on such a large stockpile of cruel Elephant contraband? China argued that it needed to promote the ivory carving tradition as a cultural imperative. What is even more awesome about this sale of ivory, is that the proceeds will likely benefit human rights abusing and terrorist supporting regimes like Robert Mugave's in Zimbabwe. Hooray!

Want to see the "cultural tradition" that China wishes to promote?
An ivory covered BMW worth 2.4 million, BLING BLING!

Want to see more of this blood-wagon?

Follow up:

Classy! Check out that exhaust.

And you thought that Hummers were awesome.

Warning! Objects in mirror may be classier than they appear.
[jalopnik]

The world's next superpower?

--Ms Sharky

technorati tags: Elephants, Endangered Species, Africa, China, ivory, BMW, CITES, Japan, South Africa, Zimbabwe, Robert Mugave, Namibia, Botswana

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