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| African deal cut on ivory trade | |
| (about 2 hours later) | |
| African countries have agreed a deal on the immediate future of the ivory trade. | African countries have agreed a deal on the immediate future of the ivory trade. |
| Southern African nations will be permitted a further one-off sale of legally-acquired ivory from stockpiles, with funds going for conservation. | Southern African nations will be permitted a further one-off sale of legally-acquired ivory from stockpiles, with funds going for conservation. |
| No further sales will then be allowed for nine years. | No further sales will then be allowed for nine years. |
| The deal, agreed at the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) meeting, comes after days of intense wrangling. | The deal, agreed at the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) meeting, comes after days of intense wrangling. |
| It may yet be modified, as discussions continue until the end of Friday, but that appears unlikely. | |
| The ivory issue has dominated this meeting, with Botswana, Namibia, South Africa and Zimbabwe chasing a regular export quota, and another African bloc led by Kenya and Mali looking for a 20-year moratorium on any further sales. | The ivory issue has dominated this meeting, with Botswana, Namibia, South Africa and Zimbabwe chasing a regular export quota, and another African bloc led by Kenya and Mali looking for a 20-year moratorium on any further sales. |
| They believe that legal sales stimulate poaching for illegal markets. | They believe that legal sales stimulate poaching for illegal markets. |
| The trade has been banned since 1989, but CITES has twice previously granted one-off sales from stockpiles in southern African countries with robust elephant populations and a good record of combating poaching. | The trade has been banned since 1989, but CITES has twice previously granted one-off sales from stockpiles in southern African countries with robust elephant populations and a good record of combating poaching. |
| Conservation deal | Conservation deal |
| The deal would permit the four southern African states to make a one-off sale of raw ivory which was held in government-registered stocks as of 31 January 2007. | The deal would permit the four southern African states to make a one-off sale of raw ivory which was held in government-registered stocks as of 31 January 2007. |
| For Botswana, this would amount to a maximum of about 45 tonnes. Stocks in the other countries have not recently been made public. | For Botswana, this would amount to a maximum of about 45 tonnes. Stocks in the other countries have not recently been made public. |
| Japan is the only registered destination, and no re-exports from Japan are permitted. | Japan is the only registered destination, and no re-exports from Japan are permitted. |
| Proceeds must "be used exclusively for elephant conservation and community conservation and development programmes within or adjacent to the elephant range". | Proceeds must "be used exclusively for elephant conservation and community conservation and development programmes within or adjacent to the elephant range". |
| Limited sales of live animals, hides and hair, leather goods and ekipas - small ivory ornaments traditional to Namibia - would also be permitted. | Limited sales of live animals, hides and hair, leather goods and ekipas - small ivory ornaments traditional to Namibia - would also be permitted. |
| The pay-off for the Kenyan camp, and the animal welfare groups which are closely tied to it, is that no proposals for further trading will be submitted for nine years after the new sale takes place. | The pay-off for the Kenyan camp, and the animal welfare groups which are closely tied to it, is that no proposals for further trading will be submitted for nine years after the new sale takes place. |
| The European Union played a leading role in moderating the sometimes fraught discussions. | The European Union played a leading role in moderating the sometimes fraught discussions. |
| The deal still has to be endorsed by a two-thirds majority of CITES delegations, and modifications are possible. | The deal still has to be endorsed by a two-thirds majority of CITES delegations, and modifications are possible. |
| Some conservation groups are particularly concerned by the situation in Zimbabwe, where poaching is on the rise. | Some conservation groups are particularly concerned by the situation in Zimbabwe, where poaching is on the rise. |
| Richard.Black-INTERNET@bbc.co.uk | Richard.Black-INTERNET@bbc.co.uk |