Since July 1989, Kenya has publicly torched raw ivory worth millions of dollars, with no direct compensation from outside sources. In 1992, Zambia also burned its ivory stockpile. Other countries have kept their stockpiles as a future investment. Botswana, Namibia, and Zimbabwe, the three countries now permitted to trade with Japan, hold 120 tons of ivory. While some African nations argue that an easing of the ivory ban will help elephant conservation, others passionately believe that a total trade ban is the only measure that will prevent a renewed poaching frenzy.
Concerns center on how strictly the trade is controlled.
Added to these worries is the fact that guns are more plentiful in Africa than ever. Civil wars here have put automatic rifles into the hands of people who, spurred by harsh economic conditions, are willing to use them to make money. An additional problem is that antipoaching measures are not only expensive but also difficult. Patrolling the vast areas where elephants roam demands huge financial resources. In East Africa, these are hard to find.