Re-thinking the application of sustainable use policies for African elephants in a changed world

This research paper argues that consumptive use policies for African elephants have yielded mixed results due to corruption and poor governance, and calls for African policymakers to shift toward a permanent global ivory trade ban, improved governance of trophy hunting, and the promotion of photographic tourism.

• Consumptive use (CU) policies, including culling, trophy hunting, and ivory trading, have had inconsistent outcomes for human development and the conservation of ecosystems and elephants, particularly in environments characterized by poor governance and corruption.
• The current partial global ban on ivory trade has created confusion among consumers, law enforcement, and policymakers, contributing to a 'perfect storm' of increased poaching driven by speculative demand, while failing to implement either a permanent ban or a controlled legal trade.
• To adapt to new realities, African policymakers should support a permanent global ivory trade ban, destroy ivory stockpiles, improve trophy hunting governance as a temporary measure, promote photographic tourism, and enhance the capacity of national wildlife agencies.
• Adapting sustainable use policies increases costs for law enforcement and community incentives, shifting the financial burden to African governments. The author suggests a global biodiversity tax is necessary to fund these adaptations and prevent the loss of elephant ecosystems.

APA

South African Institute of International Affairs (2016). Re-thinking the application of sustainable use policies for African elephants in a changed world. https://saiia.org.za/research/re-thinking-the-application-of-sustainable-use-policies-for-african-elephants-in-a-changed-world/

Chicago

South African Institute of International Affairs. Re-thinking the application of sustainable use policies for African elephants in a changed world. 2016. https://saiia.org.za/research/re-thinking-the-application-of-sustainable-use-policies-for-african-elephants-in-a-changed-world/.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=South African Institute of International Affairs |title=Re-thinking the application of sustainable use policies for African elephants in a changed world |date=20 September 2016 |url=https://saiia.org.za/research/re-thinking-the-application-of-sustainable-use-policies-for-african-elephants-in-a-changed-world/ |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{southafricaninstituteofinternationalaffairs2016rethinking, author = {{South African Institute of International Affairs}}, title = {{Re-thinking the application of sustainable use policies for African elephants in a changed world}}, institution = {South African Institute of International Affairs}, year = {2016}, month = sep, url = {https://saiia.org.za/research/re-thinking-the-application-of-sustainable-use-policies-for-african-elephants-in-a-changed-world/}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }