. The Thai government introduced legal reforms in , imposing strict controls over the possession and domestic trade of ivory from captive Asian elephants, and aligning the pro- tection of African elephants and their ivory with CITES regulations.
Threats/Pressures impacting the conservation of the species
Local people (e.g., individuals, communities, co-operatives)
National / local private sector
Is the use part of a strategy to generate conservation incentives, to finance conservation, or to improve tolerance/stewardship?
Yes
Is there evidence that the use is affecting the conservation status of the species? HIDE
Unknown/not recorded
Is there evidence that the use is affecting natural selection?
Unknown/not recorded
Is there evidence that the use is affecting poaching of illegal wildlife trade?
Unknown/not reported
Is there any evidence that this use of the species is having a knock-on effect on the status of non-target species
Unknown/not recorded
Unknown/not recorded
Yes, considered sustainable
Details of assessment carried out
In circumstances such as those in Thailand, ivory could be treated as a renewable resource, the sustainability of which is achieved through a highly regulated legal trade. The Thai ivory trade, based on a supply of raw material obtained from captive elephants, has the potential to be sustainable, support local craftsmen and maintain traditional knowledge of ivory carving. Elephant tusks grow throughout the animal’s life (Sukumar, ) and can be harvested with non- lethal methods from captive elephants;
Has a valuation of financial flows from this use at the site/national/international level been recorded
Chaitae, A., Gordon, I., Addison, J., & Marsh, H. (2021). Protection of elephants and sustainable use of ivory in Thailand. Oryx, 1-8. doi:10.1017/S0030605321000077
Threats/pressures impacting the species at the scale of this record