EXCLUSIVE: HOW IVORY FROM 11,000 ELEPHANTS HAS DISAPPEARED INTO CHINA'S BLACK MARKET.

As the country this week seeks legal elephant ivory trade status, EIA has revealed how 110 tonnes of ivory - equivalent to the tusks of 11,000 elephants – has gone missing from its government controlled ivory stockpiles.

Ivory & furs on sale in full view of law enforcement patrol in Linxia, China. © EIA - click to zoom image
Ivory & furs on sale in full view of law enforcement patrol in Linxia, China. © EIA

The ivory's embarrassing disappearance is revealed in a confidential, unpublished Chinese government document, obtained EIA.

EIA is releasing details of the document today on the eve of China's attempt to win approval to resume international ivory trade from the UN Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species. (CITES)

In a publication entitled; "China, Ivory Trade and the Future of Africa's elephants" EIA quotes from the secret document, written by a senior Chinese government official, which states that:

• "We have not been able to account for the [ivory] shortfall through the sale of legal ivory by the selected selling sites in the country. This suggests a large amount of illegal sale of the ivory stockpile has taken place".

• *Some of the commercial sales units never kept any records of their ivory stockpile.”

• “The markets in numerous cities that deal with ivory have for years been dealing commercially with ivory products that did not come from approved/registered sources”.

• “The relevant [Government] department instigated an investigation” into the missing ivory.

"China’s secret document on the missing 110 tonnes of ivory confirms the extent of its massive illegal ivory trade and underlines why it must not be allowed to legally trade ivory. It is already the world’s largest importer of illegal ivory which is already fueling poaching across Africa, wiping out elephant populations. Chinese nationals have been implicated in illegal ivory trade in 23 African nations.” said Allan Thornton, Chairman of the Environmental Investigation Agency.

EIA will argue at the Geneva CITES meeting starting Monday that the missing ivory confirms China's lack of control over its ivory trade, providing clear grounds to refuse the country's request to trade legally in ivory for the first time since the 1989 international ivory ban was passed. EIA will argue to CITES member nations voting on China's request that allowing China to import ivory legally will further stimulate elephant poaching, ivory smuggling and illegal trade.

For further information, contact:
Allan Thornton (44) 207 354 7960 during office hours

Mobile +1 202 361 6941