BANGKOK, June 30 (TNA) – The Thai government will destroy over 2. 7 tonnes of illegal elephant tusks in late July, said Adisorn Noochdamrong, deputy director-general of Department of National Park, Wildlife and Flora.
Mr. Adisorn said a committee , chaired by Resources and Environment Minister Gen. Daopong Rattanasuwan, had agreed that 2.712 tonnes of elephant tusks and ivory products seized by government officials from illegal owners should be destroyed.
According to rules of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES), there are three ways to deal with the seized tusks. They include return to the country of origin, preserve for research and study, and destroy.
Seven Thai government agencies have notified that they wanted 477 kilogrammes for use while the rest will be destroyed with incinerator which has high temperature.
To date, 210 shops selling elephant tusks plus 44,000 individual owners have registered to the officials for owning a combined 220 tonnes of tusks.
However, officials are unable to register the tusks owned by more than 1,000 owners who had reported but did not bring the tusks for inspection by officials before the registration ends.(TNA)
