India’s U-turn on decades of strong anti-ivory advocacy alarms conservationists

India says it has ‘never supported trade in elephant ivory and our stand has been the same’. It, however, did explain why it chose to abstain, reports Namita Singh

Students wearing animal masks protest during the opening day of the World Wildlife Conference, Cites Cop19, in Panama City (AFP via Getty Images)

An unprecedented decision by India to abstain from a recent vote to re-open the commercial sale of African elephant tusks has alarmed experts who fear that any change in the country’s decades-old anti-ivory advocacy will lead to a softened stance against the international trade of ivory.

On 18 November, Zimbabwe tabled a proposal during the ongoing conference of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (Cites) in Panama, to seek controlled trade in ivory from the country and its neighbours, Namibia, Botswana and South Africa.

Although it was roundly defeated 83-15 with a two-thirds majority vote against the motion, India changed its decades-old stance and became one of the 17 countries that abstained from the vote, reported the Indian Express newspaper.