Environmentalists buck burning of confiscated elephant tusks

MANILA, Philippines - Environmentalists asked environment officials yesterday to oppose plans for the ceremonial burning of confiscated elephant tusks.

Over 30 clean air advocates, zero waste practitioners and environmental lawyers asked Environment and Natural Resources Secretary Ramon Paje and Protected Areas and Wildlife Bureau director Theresa Mundita Lim to drop the plan.

The groups led by the EcoWaste Coalition expressed support for the global effort to stop illegal wildlife trade as provided under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Flora and Fauna (CITES), and to put an end to elephant poaching.

“Even if the intent is only to conduct ‘ceremonial burning,’ we remain anxious as this will likely send a confusing message to the general public from the environmental authorities that open burning is acceptable,” the groups said.

The environmentalists said while open burning is acceptable, the message that it may send would not serve the objectives of the Integrated Persistent Organic Pollutants Management Project (IPOPs Project) that the DENR is implementing.

The project, financed by the Global Environment Facility and World Bank, aims to help the country meet its obligations under the Stockholm Convention, specifically in preventing emissions from the open burning of agricultural and municipal solid waste.

Rene Pineda, president of the Partnership for Clean Air, said the burning of the confiscated tusks would set a bad and illegal example.

“The act of burning waste no matter how small, granting it is just ceremonial, does not legitimize it. And that’s the underlying intent of the law, which the implementer must uphold,” Pineda said.

Burning the tusks, the environmentalists said, would cause emissions and a violation of Republic Act 9003 or the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act and Republic Act 8749 or the Clean Air Act.

“We trust that Secretary Paje and Director Lim will heed our earnest appeal and ensure that the people’s right to breathe clean air will not be relegated as the government meets its international obligations to put a stop to illegal wildlife trade,” said Aileen Lucero, acting national coordinator of the EcoWaste Coalition.

Instead of open burning, the environmentalists recommended that the ivory tusks be crushed and pulverized by a road roller and buried for composting.

Signatories to the petition include the Alaga Lahat, Alyansa Tigil Mina, Animal Kingdom Foundation, Atin To Development Services, Bangon Kalikasan, Buklod Tao, Ecological Society of the Philippines, Green Convergence, Greenpeace, Greenresearch, Health Care Without Harm, Mother Earth Foundation, Partnership for Clean Air, Philippine Animal Welfare Society, Philippine Earth Justice Center, and Zero Waste Philippines, and the EcoWaste Coalition.