TRAFFIC said Bangkok had emerged as the main hub for illegal ivory activities, accounting for more than 70 percent of the retail outlets in Thailand offering ivory items for sale.

“Legal loopholes and insufficient law enforcement mean that Thailand continues to harbor the largest illegal ivory market in Asia” the report said.

The report documented more than 26,000 worked ivory products for sale in Thai markets and found many more retail outlets dealing in such products than in 2001, although less worked ivory was openly on sale.

“Thailand has consistently been identified as one of the world’s top five countries most heavily implicated in the illicit ivory trade, but shows little sign of addressing outstanding issues,” said Tom Milliken of TRAFFIC.

Currently the country is not implementing international requirements, to the ongoing detriment of both African and Asian elephant populations, he added.

The report also raised concerns about the capture of live wild elephants to cater to adventure tourism in Thailand, and the hundreds of animals illegally imported from neighboring Myanmar in recent years.

Although banned in Thailand since the 1970s, trade in the wild-caught animals mainly goes undetected because domesticated elephants need not be registered legally until they are eight years old, TRAFFIC said.

The group suggested a comprehensive registration system be set up for live elephants and all traded ivory.

Source: AFP