Malawi cancels burning of $7.5m ivory stockpile
Malawi government has said President Peter Mutharika will on Thursday not burn four-tonne stockpile of elephant ivory valued at around $7.5m as it was scheduled, saying there is a “ slight change” in the programme of the event .
Government spokesman Kondwani Nankhumwa, who is also Information Minister, said government will still go ahead to show committment to tackle the illegal trade in ivory.
He said the burning of ivory has been postponed “as a consequence of new information that has emerged. “
Nankhumwa said in a statement: “ Government has been advised that another 2.6 tonnes of ivory is still in the system as exhibits awaiting conclusion of cases which are pending in the courts.
“Once these cases are concluded, all 6.6 tonnes of the ivory will be destroyed all together at a time and date to be announced in future.”
The statement added: “While Government remains committed to fight wildlife crime, including protection of iconic species of elephants and rhinos, which are key for tourism promotion in Malawi, it is important that the entire stockpile of ivory is destroyed once and for all”.
Destroying ivory, while symbolically important, is not a solution to poaching because it is does not deal with the problem associated with common pool resources, according to Mwangi Kimenyi a Senior Fellow, Global Economy and Development, Africa Growth Initiative at the Brookings Institution and advisory board member of the School of Economics, University of Nairobi.
He argues more effective policies must focus on interjecting more market-based approaches that provide communities ownership rights to the wildlife, perhaps the most compelling reason for them to vigorously support anti-poaching activities.
Follow and Subscribe Nyasa TV :
Perhaps the Smoke will be smelled by the elephants them selves and perhaps they wonner run away from here or will stop bleeding .
One international convention is against animal cruelty and it is for protecting wildlife ANOTHER international convention is against canon emissions protecting against global warming..so you can’t burn them and make the world happy. But coz the animals were already killed u can sell them to licenced dealers overseas or obtain permission to do so then buy medicine for hospitals. Sadly no government is the world has a duty to feed it’s people but government has duty to look after the heath of its people it is indivuals responsibility to find food and put it on a plate.
why burn the ivory when we can sell it and feed the nation
Alomwe watu ndi mbava akufuna agulitse ndani angaotche 7.6 million USDz? Angulu mukutionjezatu. mwadziwa liti kuti another 2.6 toone idali mu circulation?
Comment maganizo ake uuuh amasiyana
Let’s hope the delay is not a passage to Ivorygate…kuba kwambi
Asaotche kamba koti boma lingopeza msika ndikugulitsa. Kenako mutha kuona chochita ndi ndalamazo.
What? Burn? You don’t do a wrong to right a wrong. Deal with the core problem in the parks: poaching! That stuff can buy enough erythromycin for Dedza hospital and save several lives or you can feed several souls ku Chigwa. I’m telling you.
It looks quite a lot like a small group or an individual are spamming these comments, giving the impression that many people want to sell this ivory. This is not the case. Selling the ivory would firstly legitimise all the previous illegal trading and poaching. This will allow criminals to argue, ‘why should we be put in jail for selling ivory when that is exactly what our own government is doing?’. It would also be a huge knock to the pride of all the people who have stood against the poachers and smugglers. All the people who work hard and… Read more »
Sell and buy foodstuffs for Malawians. Zachitika nthawi yabwino, mwina its Gods plan to unveil this malpractice so that you should put in place better ideas on how you can use the impounded ivory. Kuli njala yoopsyatu chakachino, hedeee!