World Wildlife Day Melbourne Crush, Bourke St Mall, Melbourne on 3 March we will show that Australia and New Zealand want the domestic trade by crushing ivory and rhino pieces. Most Australians already believe that the domestic trade in rhino horn and elephant ivory is banned in Australia as part of our CITES obligations. In September 2016, Donalea Patman (For the Love of Wildlife), Fio
na Gordon (Gordon Consulting, NZ), Lynn Johnson (Breaking The Brand, now incorporated in to Nature Needs More) and IFAW met with the Environment Minister and handed to him an open letter signed by 56 organisations calling for a domestic ban on elephant ivory and rhino horn in Australia. The main objection raised by him was that this should be up to the states to legislate. In contrast, the States who have been approached since believe that this is a Federal Government responsibility, under the heads of agreement in relation to the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 agreed at COAG in 1997. The Federal Government believes it is up to the State Governments to legislate and police, whereas the States assume it is up to the Federal Government. The domestic market in Australia can easily be used by traffickers to launder illegal elephant ivory and rhino horn for legal sale in China and Viet Nam. South Africa has enacted a domestic trade in rhino horn, permitting the export of rhino horn for ‘personal purposes’. The EU and China are moving towards banning the domestic trade. Australia we call on you to stop the trade. We can no longer bear witness to the brutal slaughter of these iconic species and we all have a responsibility to do what we can. Please print out the letters and send to the Minister. Post this to:
Hon Josh Frydenberg MP
PO Box 6022
House of Representatives
Parliament House
Canberra ACT 2600
AUSTRALIA
AND your local MP.
