Thanks to Namibia for cheetahs? India abstains on ivory trade vote-

Subject :Environment

In news-

That proposal, to allow a regular form of controlled trade in ivory from Namibia, Botswana, South Africa and Zimbabwe, was defeated 83-15 at the19th meeting of the CITES Conference of the Parties (CoP 19) in Panama City.
India’s abstention —abreak from its past stand— was in tune with what Namibia had asked for when it agreed to transfer cheetahs this summer.
IN THE deal it signed with Namibia to fly in cheetahs, India agreed to promote “sustainable utilisation and management of biodiversity” by supporting advances in this area of bilateral cooperation “ at international forums including meetings of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Flora and Fauna” (CITES).
While the word “ivory” has not been mentioned, Namibia has already sought India’s backing, under the commitment to support “sustainable management” at the CITES, for its longstanding proposal to allow trade in ivory derived from elephants of Namibia, Botswana, South Africa and Zimbabwe.

India’s standpoint–

India has backed a total ban on the ivory trade since the 1980s.
Namibia is seeking India’s support in the 19th meeting of the CITES Conference of the Parties (CoP19).
India has been against removing the ban on the international ivory trade despite having an ivory stockpile of an estimated 20- 30,000 kg worth over $250 million, stored with the forest departments of various states.
India and Kenya together sponsored the proposal in CoP-12 (2002) to put the southern African elephants back in Appendix-I.

Namibia’s stand on ivory trade–

On July 20, 2022, India’s Environment Minister signed the deal on “Wildlife Conservation and Sustainable Biodiversity Utilisation” with Namibia’s Deputy Prime Minister Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah to bring cheetahs home.
Namibia and the other three southern African countries – Botswana, South Africa and Zimbabwe– argue that their elephant populations have bounced back and their stockpiled ivory, if sold internationally, can generate much-needed revenue for elephant conservation and incentivising communities.

CITES stand–

CITES said, there was a sharp spike in elephant poaching across the globe when the trade in ivory was allowed by the CITES in 1999 and 2008.
The ivory trade was globally banned in 1989 and all African elephant populations were put in CITES Appendix-I.
The populations of Namibia, Botswana and Zimbabwe were transferred to Appendix- II in 1997 and South Africa’s in 2000.
No trade is allowed in species listed in CITES Appendix-I while trade is strictly regulated in those under Appendix II.
In 1999 and 2008, Namibia, along with Zimbabwe and, later, Botswana and South Africa, was permitted by CITES to conduct one-off sales of ivory stockpiled from natural elephant deaths and seizures from poachers.
Subsequently, Namibia’s proposal for allowing a regular form of controlled trade in ivory by delisting the elephant populations of the four countries from CITES Appendix II was rejected at the CoP17 (2016) and CoP18 (2019).