Key points
A wonderful and wide-ranging discussion of an immensely complex and emotionally-charged issue. Some final thoughts.
- Fighting corruption, forcing the hand of policy makers and developing community-based responses to poverty are vital to elephant survival
- Human-elephant conflict cannot be avoided, but we can try to control how humans react
- A network of parks and wild lands is needed to allow elephants to roam naturally
- Stamping out demand and the legal market in China is going to be difficult, but the government appears to be serious
- Hope for the future is not lost, but it is probably limited to small pockets of land
Will my grandkids get to see elephants in the wild?
An entirely self-indulgent question, I will admit, but that’s my prerogative! This excellent panel give us measured hope for the future.
Yes, but unless we all redouble our efforts to combat poaching, build community support for conservation, reduce HEC, reduce trafficking (including through market closures), and dramatically reduce demand for ivory, the number of places with significant numbers of wild elephants, functioning as they should, will be very much smaller than now. But there is real hope!
I think so Karl, because high value tourism areas will be maintained. They might be private, however, like Ol Pejeta and Lewa in Kenya. Unfortunately, in getting to them you and your kids will drive through or fly over farms and livestock grazing lands because people have eradicated the wildlife.
You know what the word in English is for pest animals with no value - vermin. Current policy is in effect making wildlife vermin from the perspective of rural African communities.
Karl, I think that with increasing momentum to listen to the elephant specialists talking about the species, (not just local abundant populations in one or two countries), we can get ivory under control and poaching significantly lessened. And I strongly believe that if we don't want simply islands of elephants but connected, migrating herds, we have to plan this now and in the next 5-10 years while we have something to work with. This applies in Asia too, where the IUCN Asian elephant specialist group just met last week. For all of those people who have or are going to have grandchildren the question is back to you all, are you with us? We need you to make your desire known to politicians and help us fund the work until the governments and corporations step up their funding and stewardship for elephants and their habitat.
What are the distinct threats faced by Asian elephants?
Asian elephants are Monica Wrobel, whose organisation Elephant Family focuses on Asian elephants paints a frightening picture of the future.
In the past 100 years 90% of Asian elephant populations have been wiped out. Without action, this iconic animal could be facing extinction within 3 decades, which is why this species is listed as Endangered. They now number as few as 40,000 across 13 countries in Asia, with probably 60% occurring in India. Habitat loss (lack of food) and fragmentation of populations are causing declines, and then the results of that such as train strikes are killing them, as well as hunting (sometimes for ivory though not all elephants have tusks and females don't have tusks). However, retaliatory killing for crop-raiding such as by electrocution traps hooked up to the mains wires, or setting out poison bait - such as poisoned pineapples are killing what these superb wild giants have been reduced to - crop pests, especially in places where people have settled and have no history of living with, or knowing how to live with elephants.
Dan Stiles also thinks things are looking bleak.
Habitat destruction and fragmentation is the obvious answer. It's remarkable how well they've done in India and Sri Lanka when you think of the population pressures. Unfortunately, it looks like poaching for ivory is on the increase in India and carvers are still churning out the Ganeshas and Saraswatis. I've read how various states are planning corridors, etc.
Here’s what can be done. Says Wrobel:
In Asia though, we have hope by protecting and keeping habitat areas connected and working with both rural communities and experts alike to understand more where elephants need to move and what they need to eat. We can lessen the interaction between people and elephants and help people co-exist safely. We can work with governments and companies to rationally plan where land change will occur but we need to resource that research and those experts so they are ready with the answers! So there IS hope, but we need to act now. Importantly, as we attempt to get control globally on the battle against ivory and illegal poaching in Africa, we are learning tremendous lessons to be applied in Africa to protect space and empower people to allow our spectacular, largest land mammal still have room to roam. Our biggest project at the moment with other NGOs is our Corridors Campaign. http://elephant-family.org/what-we-do/campaigning/100-corridors
Updated
Why is there not enough money to stop poaching?
On email, Wim Kerkhoven asks why we can’t use funds from tourism to support local communities so they don’t turn to poaching.
There’s just not enough to go around, says Andrea Crosta.
Throughout Africa there are working examples of involving local communities in the way you suggest, it's simply a drop in the ocean. There are million and millions of poor people and just a fraction of them is actually "blessed" with tourism. And you need just a few poachers and a couple of traffickers or brokers to create havoc. There;s a huge Human Toll behind the ivory trade and poor exploited people are a big part of it.
Thats the same situation here, in India. Even with tourism, the number of poor people who actually benefit from it i.e. whose lives are uplifted by its effects is a very small number. Whatever the solution is, it has to be more though out and must benefit the poor community in large.
The money also fails to reach the communities says Simon Hedges.
Sometimes the reason is that entrenched big businesses that are not set up to provide significant benefits to the local people in and around the eco-tourism areas. Corruption is sometimes a problem too. Governments need to do more to support, facilitate, and otherwise help local initiatives and to require more equitable benefit sharing by the big operations. You are correct to say that ecotourism in Africa can generate 'big bucks', see the paper I referenced earlier: Naidoo R., Weaver C.L., Diggle R.W., Matongo G., Stuart-Hill G. & Thouless C. (2015) Complementary benefits of tourism and hunting to communal conservancies in Namibia. Conserv Biol.
Monica Wrobel says there is an important role for development aid to play to fill these gaps.
I think community needs are greater than the support they are getting, especially in many African countries, but the rural poor in all countries where elephants range are too often left on their own. In reality, the places where wildlife still exists are in places where the most dis-enfranchised people live. They may not even know when there is a government compensation scheme that can help them. So I don't think elephant populations always need to "pay for themselves" through trophy hunting or tourism income. But I think that better access to development aid, or government aid or even an NGO-started farming co-op and access to markets can boost the morale and empowerment of communities. Those communities also do not want to be a target for criminal gangs preying on the unemployed to poach. Strong communities are a very important part of this answer, and support so they can use techniques or understand elephant routes help prevent human-elephant interaction.
Can we create a connected network of parks and protected areas in Africa?
Dan Stiles says this is already underway in Kenya:
This is a critical question and in Kenya right now there is a group doing exactly that, planning protected corridors to be left open to connect protected areas and private conservancies. All range states should conduct such exercises, including cross-border corridors
And Simon Hedges agrees.
Indeed! Elephants do need large areas of habitat and even in Africa we are now seeing habitat fragmentation and loss become a significant problem for elephant conservation. In Asia, of course, habitat loss has long been one of the biggest threats to elephants, which are now largely confined to protected areas, many of which are too small for long term viability and have huge HEC problems on their borders. Maintaining connectivity or restoring it if already lost is essential. Fortunately, as Dan notes there are some encouraging examples from countries such as Kenya and India but much more needs to be done in many more places.
What can I do?
For those feeling far away and helpless, here are some concrete actions you can take today.
I agree with lobbying governments. These should be considered World Heritage Animals and as global citizens we can help strengthen that argument and get more resources put towards Forest and Wildlife Departments. Stronger departments aid better resource management, and not only help provide stability locally, but can stand up for protection of habitat for the good of communities and wildlife. Preventing environmental damage (loss of forest, pollution, silting of rivers, floods, polluted water courses) which de-stabilises communities later. I also endorse that people worldwide support the conservation organisations that can help direct research and aid to experts and communities for bringing about local solutions.
Is trophy hunting an option?
No, say most panelists. Although there are some caveats.
I think the quote "Necessity is the Mother of Invention" applies here. Some of the most innovative community schemes have come about when trophy hunting was not an option, and then other aid schemes and other government departments participated in community well-being, not just under-resourced wildlife departments.
Dan Stiles says it could work for some species. But not elephants.
I'm not convinced that trophy hunting is essential to conserving elephants, at least elephant hunting, maybe other species. It's a complicated question.
Andrea Crosta from Elephant Action League says:
Trophy hunting is often the "lazy answer" of government that do not want to pro-actively protect wildlife and provide local communities with real economic development.
Simon Hedges agrees it’s complicated. But also perhaps an issue over-egged by both advocates and critics, relative to its potential impact.
While I would personally never shoot an animal for its trophy there have been some successful examples of trophy hunting for some species generating revenues for - and encouraging pro-conservation attitudes among - local people. Trophy hunting has the potential to provide those benefits in remote, difficult places where there are few other options for wildlife-based landuses. Trophy hunting can therefore help keep significant areas of land under wildlife - land that might otherwise not be so used. But in some places trophy hunting operations have practised predator control, introduced species, or bred overly-developed trophies - all of which are bad for biodiversity conservation. So, yes, it's complicated. It is also hard to see that trophy hunting is likely to ever play a significant role in elephant conservation. The amount of money generated by trophy hunting is also small relative to the funding needs for conservation in Africa, and so in some ways the heated debates post-Cecil are a distraction from the bigger issues. See: Lindsey P.A., Balme G.A., Funston P.J., Henschel P.H. & Hunter L.T.B. (2016) Life after Cecil: channelling global outrage into funding for conservation in Africa. Conservation Letters 9, 296-301.
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How do we fight the illegal trade when it is so lucrative?
Carey Ostrer has asked via email how we go about fighting the illegal trade when it is so lucrative?
Dan Stiles responds:
On the demand side, where consumers buy, law enforcement in pretty much every country has proven ineffective if high demand prevails. If shops are closed down, traders and consumers move to online websites and members only social media. Demand must be lowered, but this is a long process.
Monica Wrobel of Elephant Family points out:
From the words of a wildlife enforcement specialist: “On illegal trade, investigation and enforcement is still woefully inadequate in the countries that matter (range states and consumer/transit countries.). There's a need to recognise this is a crime problem and the response needs to be police led. Customs have demonstrated they have capacity, mandate and therefore little will to investigate the hundreds of ivory seizures made to date. Many techniques still aren't being adopted, such as controlled deliveries, forensic analysis of crime scenes for links to suspects, and lack of proactive responses. Sources within the trade have indicated that serious offenders are only afraid of imprisonment if actually prosecuted, yet such a deterrent barely exists.
And Simon Hedges of WCS adds:
Dan is correct to stress the challenges inherent in demand reduction and there needs to be a much greater focus on effecting behavioural change not just raising awareness; we have seen to little of the former in demand reduction campaigns to date. But demand for wildlife products including ivory and rhino horn has been reduced in the past in a number of countries, so we know it can be done.
Avoiding elephant-human conflict
Elephants are wild animals and so conflict is hard to avoid, according to the panel. Consultant Dan Stiles says we can only control how humans respond.
For those who suffer the depredations of elephants, the only thing that has been demonstrated to prevent retaliation is if the people gain tangible benefits. Very few places have mechanisms in place for that now.
Solutions have to involve communities, says Wildlife Direct’s Trish Sewe.
Conflict between humans and wildlife cannot be avoided. However solutions have to come from the people living with wildlife. Innovative ideas of how to live harmoniously can't take a top down approach.
And they have to build economic prosperity, says Simon Hedges in a comment too long to post so I’ll link to it here. He also suggests further investigating insurance and other ways to manage or understand the impact on humans.
In addition to trying to ensure local people derive direct financial benefits from the presence of wildlife such as elephants whenever possible, a key part of mitigating human-elephant conflict (HEC) or human-wildlife conflict (HWC) more generally is to adopt a sound evidence-based approach to testing and promoting effective HEC/HWC reduction methods. There are methods that can help reduce HEC (under some circumstances at least) out there but they need to be deployed more effectively. Approaches such as insurance need to be further tested and developed too.
Is China doing enough?
Most panelists, including Simon Hedges from WCS, agree that the Chinese mean it when they say they will phase out their legal ivory trade:
Yes, I think the Chinese Government is serious about shutting down the domestic market in ivory in China. That commitment was announced at the highest level in a joint communique from President Xi and President Obama in September 2015. Earlier this year the Chinese authorities said publicly that they would announce the timetable for implementing the ban, so we can expect to see that announcement soon.
But Rahul Raman points out that there has been little movement since they made their announcement a year ago.
While this is true, Chinese Govt hasn't announced a date, even though Hong Kong has, which is 2020. Can we be sure that China is serious about this, even after we now that officials from high office are involved in the trade?
But Isabel Hilton, of chinadialogue, points out the difficulty in enforcing laws in a country as vast as China.
Re the ending of the domestic legal trade in China, whiles it will undoubtedly help we should also be aware that it is a recurring pattern in China that good laws can be passed but that enforcement failure can lead to unexpected results. China often resists legislation for as long as possible, then acts when the diplomatic costs become too high. But that is not the same as effective enforcement. China is a very big country, Beijing's reach is less effective than many outsiders imagine, and enforcement may not be a priority. If you look at the overall movements in demand, the relatively recent surge in demand from Vietnam for both ivory and rhino horn: I suspect that the bulk of both are being smuggled into China -- it's a change of route rather than a drop in demand.
Dan Stiles, who works with the IUCN elephant specialist group, believes some news might be imminent.
I've heard they will announce the plan in December. It will involve a phased closing, allowing ivory traders and factories to dispose of their stocks, as Hong Kong has done
Updated
Before our panel convenes at 1pm (GMT), here is some reading material that could provoke thoughts and questions.
- Will Jones, founder of Wild Philanthropy, on the drawbacks of exclusive protected zones and outlines a different mode of conservation.
- A group of experts discuss the pros and cons of legalising the ivory trade.
- After a recent UN conference moved to shut down domestic ivory markets, today’s panelist Dan Stiles asks whether there is a plan to shut down the illicit sector.
- Another of today’s panelists, Isabel Hilton on the need to engage Chinese readers in a respectful dialogue.
We know that elephant populations are collapsing at a frightening rate and that the driving forces behind this collapse are a global appetite for ivory and, just as worryingly, human/elephant conflict for space and resources.
Earlier this year, the world’s governments agreed to recommend the closure of domestic ivory markets. This is a serious step towards the eventual complete shutting down of the ivory trade, but now new questions are arising:
- How do governments go about shutting down the legal ivory market?
- Fighting an illegal ivory market could be even harder. How do we strengthen forces against the black market?
- As human populations move into elephant territory, human/elephant conflict is a real and growing problem that may even come to dwarf the ivory trade. Can we avoid these conflicts? What works in terms of supporting local communities? What works in terms of preserving elephant territory?
- This is a global challenge, but with different challenges for every region. What are the specific challenges for your region?
We have convened a panel of experts to answer these questions, and more. The discussion will take place in the comments thread, and we will post highlights in the live blog as it proceeds. If you would like to ask a question email bibi.vanderzee@theguardian.com, or join in the comments thread during the discussion on Tuesday.
Our panel
Patricia Sewe and Joy Omulupi, Wildlife Direct, Kenya
Andrea Crosta, Elephant Action League, United States, @ElephantLeague
Dan Stiles, independent consultant, Kenya, @Kenyadan10
Simon Hedges, Wildlife Conservation Society, US, @simonhedges64
Monica Wrobel, Elephant Family, United Kingdom, @elephantfamily
Isabel Hilton, China Dialogue, China, @isabelhilton
Updated
In many countries I'm afraid it will not possible. We often forget Central and West Africa where elephants are in many areas doomed. If we cannot stop the current elephant poaching crisis, your grandchildren will probably be able to see wild elephants only in a handful of African countries, in the Eastern and Southern Africa, tiny islands of elephants surrounded by oceans of people.