VANISHING POINT Criminality, Corruption and the Devastation of Tanzania’s Elephants ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS CONTENTS Special thanks to the Rufford Foundation, and to Brian and the team at Emmerson Press 2 INTRODUCTION for their support. Report design by: 3 AFRICA’S ELEPHANT POACHING CRISIS www.designsolutions.me.uk November 2014 5 SOURCE: TANZANIA All images © EIA unless otherwise stated 18 EIA CASE FILES 26 TRANSIT COUNTRIES 28 END MARKET: CHINA 33 CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS ENVIRONMENTAL INVESTIGATION AGENCY (EIA) 62/63 Upper Street, London N1 0NY, UK Tel: +44 (0) 20 7354 7960 Fax: +44 (0) 20 7354 7961 email:
[email protected] www.eia-international.org EIA US P.O.Box 53343 Washington DC 20009 USA Tel: +1 202 483 6621 Fax: +202 986 8626 email:
[email protected] FRONT COVER: Skulls of poached elephants, Quirimbas National Park, northern Mozambique, October 2012. © EIA / Mary Rice BACK COVER: © EIA / Mary Rice 1 INTRODUCTION The devastating poaching crisis in Tanzania 25 years ago was characterised by increased criminality, corruption, the proliferation of firearms, the failure of the judicial system and the perception that Tanzania was a sanctuary for criminals. Between 1977-87, Tanzania lost over 50,000 elephants, more than 50 per cent of its population. The Government concluded that without Tanzania is a key player in the illegal Vietnam, the Philippines, Malaysia, drastic action the country would lose ivory trade. While the escalation in Sri Lanka and Taiwan. The poaching both its elephants and international poaching is generally traced to 2009, crisis in Tanzania is due to a toxic credibility. In 1989, recognising it could evidence suggests the trend started mix of criminal syndicates, often led not tackle the situation alone and, in the four years earlier, indicating deeper by Chinese nationals, and face of considerable opposition from entrenchment than previously corruption among some Tanzanian key allies, Tanzania proposed an acknowledged.