February 13, 2020
Mr. Alexandre de Juniac Director General and CEO dejuniaca@iata.org
Mrs. Andrea Gruber Head, Special Cargo grubera@iata.org
800 Place Victoria PO Box 113 Montreal – H4Z 1M1 Quebec – Canada
33, Route de l’Aeroport PO Box 416
1215 Geneva – 15 Airport Switzerland
CITES Decision Regarding Transport of African elephants from Zimbabwe and Botswana
Dear Mr. de Juniac and Mrs. Gruber:
We write to inform you of a decision adopted by the parties to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) restricting the transport of live, wild caught elephants from Zimbabwe and Botswana soley to countries within the species natural and historical range in Africa, with limited exceptions. We respectfully request that the International Air Transport Association (IATA):
(1) update the 46 edition of its Live Animal Regulations accordingly with an addendum, and revise any other relevant rules, guidance and standards; and
(2) inform its members and strategic partners, including exporters, importers, transport companies and carriers, of this decision as appropriate.
CITES regulates international trade in endangered and threatened animals and plants through the listing of species on one of three Appendices. African elephants in Zimbabwe, Namibia, South Africa, and Botswana are listed on CITES Appendix II, which limits trade to avoid uses that are incompatible with species’ survival. The listing of elephants in Zimbabwe and Botswana includes an annotation(1) allowing live elephants to be exported to “appropriate and acceptable
1 Annotations define which commodities are covered by the listing or are excluded from it.
destinations.” Pursuant to this annotation, Zimbabwe has captured live baby elephants from the wild and exported to zoos and entertainment facilities in China and elsewhere (2)
Continue reading “PREN LETTER TO IATA REGARDING LIVE ELEPHANT EXPORT”