Measuring impact of Kenya’s ivory burning urgent, say UQ scientists

Gathering evidence on the impact of Kenya's record-breaking ivory burn on elephant conservation should be an urgent priority according to four University of Queensland scientists. Dr Duan Biggs from the ARC Centre of Excellence for Environmental Decisions (CEED) said the ivory burns and stockpile destruction had increased by more than 600 per cent since 2011, with Kenya burning a record-breaking 105 tonnes of ivory on 30 April, valued at up to US$220 million (A$294 million) on the black market. "The historic Kenyan burn aims to send a powerful message against elephant poaching and the illegal ivory trade, yet there is no evidence, so far, that these actions help reduce poaching," Dr Biggs said. "More disturbingly, we are unaware of any attempts to track and evaluate the impacts of these burns on the demand for and the price of illegal ivory." He said that destroying ivory stockpiles could create a perverse outcome. "As ivory becomes rarer, the price increases, leading to greater incentives for elephant poachers and illegal stockpilers of ivory," he said. Each year more than 30,000 elephants are killed for their ivory by poachers in Africa to satisfy demand in Asia where raw tusks sell for up to $2100 per kilogram. Africa is home to about 500,000 elephants.