New regulation lifts ban on export of elephants
ELEPHANTS and elephant-related products can again be exported from Thailand under a new regulation from the Commerce Ministry, which may provoke controversy and debate over whether it violates the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES).
However, the National Park, Wildlife and Plant Conservation Department (DNP) insists the new regulation will be strict enough to prevent potential abuse by wildlife traffickers.
Adul Chotinisakorn, director-general of the Foreign Trade Department, said the Commerce Ministry had lifted the 2009 ban, and issued new regulations on April 10 governing the export of domesticated elephants and elephant-related products.
Pratch Rujivanarom
