Phillipines destroys trafficked ivory haul

The Philippine government, which organised the destruction of the stockpile, gathered from seizures since 2009, said it demonstrates its commitment to fighting the illegal ivory trade.

It also eliminates any opportunity for corrupt officials to resell the ivory, as was the case in 2006 when the largest single shipment of 3.7 tones vanished from the inventory, according to an international network that tracks the illegal trade.

“Ivory is known to have disappeared from a number of government-held stockpiles worldwide, so it is vital that proper protocols are established,” said a World Wide Fund for Nature spokesman.

The US Agency for International Development and the anti-wildlife-trafficking Freeland Foundation said that they were assisting the Philippine government in conducting DNA analysis of elephant tusks at the Center for Conservation Biology of the University of Washington so that law enforcement agencies will have information on the origin and transit points of the smuggled ivory. It will also help to dismantle criminal syndicates responsible for poaching in Africa.