Published: 23 October 2013

The Zimbabwe Council for Tourism has blamed the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species' ban on trade in ivory for massive elephant poaching.

ZCT vice president Francis Ngwenya in an interview last week said that Cites' ban on trade in ivory has spawned a thriving black market for elephant tusks, which fetch high prices.

Ngwenya said since Zimbabwe was not allowed to freely sell its ivory stockpile, buyers have formed criminal cartels dealing in ivory to buy and sell ivory on the black market.
- herald

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