My MEP Robert Sturdy is urging the UK government to support a ban prohibiting the sale of existing ivory stock by two African countries as he fears it could lead to the slaughter of more elephants and possible extinction.

Robert, who sits on both the International Trade Committee and the Sustainable Hunting Intergroup where this has been discussed, believes the European Parliament should strongly object to any plans by Tanzania and Zambia to offload existing ivory stock. There is concern that if sales went ahead, poachers could slaughter more elephants and pass off the ivory as old stock. Other countries led by Mali and Kenya are opposed to this.

We have issued a press release stating that as elephant numbers are already in decline across a number of African countries, and Sierra Leone’s elephant population wiped out since November, Conservative MEPs have warned that any moves to grant the sale of ivory would be a disaster and could see the near extinction of African elephants in the wild. The UK government has so far refused to rule out supporting a resumption of sales when the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species meets in Qatar in March.

Robert said: “I am very concerned that supporting these plans to trade ivory could easily lead to a rise in illegal poaching and threaten marginal elephant populations across Africa. We should be choking demand, not stocking it by legitimising the trade.

“The UK government has a chance to make a difference to the fate of elephants in the coming weeks by supporting this ban. I want the public to get behind my campaign to prevent the ivory trade being given the green light. I urge people to write to the government, or their elected representative, and asking them get off the fence and follow our lead in opposing the lifting of the ban to help African countries protect their precious but threatened wildlife heritage."