I read and follow Mark Knapp threads on ivory, but never say anything there.
It is not because i am against to the idea of using ivory.
I have to say that i love to see knife with ivory scale and i even want to have it.
But of course, there are issues for me before i have a knife with ivory.
I am conservationist by training, experience and education.
I was born and grew up in small village. On that time no pesticide in our paddyfield, even barking deer, wildboar and several species wild cats still wandering around of my village. My village is only 30minutes from the capital of a province in central Java.So i can't really say that i lived in the wilderness.
My first day in the "real wilderness" where we able to see animal with ivory was about 16 years ago. It was when i did my undergrad research on lesser ape, 6 months inside of a national park. I have been in very remote area in Papua couple years before that time.
The research station is 5km from the nearest village and only can be reached by foot. I never go to the village until my research done.
On the first day, i was able to see the elephants. The herds usually between 25-45 animals. Normally we will see them at least once in a month. After i did my undergrad, they (Wildlife Conservation Society Indonesia Program) offered me a job to stay in that research station as a biologist.
I have dozens time of experiences chased by the elephants. But, after 2003, it is really difficult to see them in a big herd.
You will be very lucky if you able see 5-9 animals. The third research station manager have to spent two years in the research station before he able to see an elephant. I have seen 5 elephants death because of hunters just in a single day and many skulls and skeletons during my time there up to 2007.
Conservation is not only about preserving the species and education, but also population and environmental management. It means that the population in many cases should be controlled. It can be by culling or in pleasure and sport way is issued hunting permit.
So, back to the ivory.
The trend of elephant population and any other animal which "produce ivory" such as walrus, hornbill etc are decreasing because of they loss their habitat.
People are hunt the animal from the time when they evolved and resulted animal extinction less compared to modern day development.
Preserving the animal population able to increase the population, even for certain sub-population of African Elephant. Unfortunately it doesnot work for Asian Elephant.
Helmeted hornbill's ivory has been a commodity for thousands year, when the forest in Indonesia still occupied the land for more than 95% of coverage. Nowadays, hunting on helmeted hornbill become a BIG problem since the forest nearly gone and the population of the hornbill is depleted. Recently, intensive poaching on this bird (i guess because of the supply of ivory to China from elephant becoming difficult and the Govt of China just recently agreed to ban the elephant ivory) is increase. It has red color, so you could have a nice red rose carved from this ivory.
But i against to burning all of the seized ivories. It should be keep somewhere for science and art/culture usage under very strict control.
Using ivory for knife can be from this resources (seized ivory), followed by strong law enforcement on illegal hunting. Burning the seized ivory and banning on ivory will not make the population of elephant and any other animals will able to survive.
I still have difficulties to understand the idea of 100% NO on using ivory as a policy will able to keep the animals in a good population since the main problem is on habitat loss (in our case mainly is for oil palm). The palm oil plantation usually poisoning the elephant. And overpopulation in small area also creates problem, that's why i will say that ivory from culling or "legal hunting" can be another legal resources. Science has develop fantastically, ivory "finger print" can be used. Other technical ways can be used to control the "legal ivory" as well.
Subfossil ivory from mammoth etc should be not banned, since it is totally different issue
I am not trying to hijack this thread, just want to say something from my mind.
I might be a hypocrite
I admire your public apology. That's not always easy to do.
