News / National
Zimbabwe wants US to lift ivory-import ban immediately
15 Jul 2014 at 06:25hrs | Views
Wildlife administrators in Zimbabwe asked the U.S. government to lift a temporary ban on ivory imports from the southern African nation immediately, the Department of Parks and Wildlife Management Authority said.
The U.S. banned imports of ivory from Zimbabwe and Tanzania in February, citing concern over whether the elephant populations were sustainable.
Zimbabwe sent the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service information it requested to help make decide on the ban more than six weeks ago, Caroline Washaya-Moyo, spokeswoman for the authority, said by phone yesterday from Harare, the capital.
As one of the so-called big-five African animals, elephants form an important part of Zimbabwe's hunting industry, which earned $360.1 million from 2005 to 2009, the authority said in a paper presented to a U.S. congressional hearing June 24.
The authority says the 97,500 elephants in the nation, which is slightly bigger than the U.S. state of Montana, destroy trees and food supplies needed for other species.
The U.S. banned imports of ivory from Zimbabwe and Tanzania in February, citing concern over whether the elephant populations were sustainable.
As one of the so-called big-five African animals, elephants form an important part of Zimbabwe's hunting industry, which earned $360.1 million from 2005 to 2009, the authority said in a paper presented to a U.S. congressional hearing June 24.
The authority says the 97,500 elephants in the nation, which is slightly bigger than the U.S. state of Montana, destroy trees and food supplies needed for other species.
Source - Bloomberg
