Conservation news Environment Abu Dhabi, and major zoos (Smithsonian’s National Zoo, Marwell Wildlife, Rotterdam, Zoological Society of London, St Louis and San Diego). The range countries of Tunisia, Morocco, Niger and Senegal were represented. The workshop reviewed the key issues of genetic diversity in captive herds, disease implications for reintroduction, the habitat needs of this migratory species, and conservation infrastructure and capacity needs for the range nations. The next workshop, planned for late 2010 in Algeria, will focus on the practical issues of reintroducing scimitar-horned oryx to the range nations of the Sahara and Sahel. The reintroduction of the scimitar-horned oryx should be viewed as a mechanism for restoring the degraded habitats of the Sahara-Sahel and for recovering the highly threatened mega-vertebrate fauna—most notably carnivores and antelopes—of the region. The work has a strong cultural and development context as any reintroduction must partner with the local communities with whom the species previously existed. A dedicated website (http://sites. google.com/site/cbsgsho/) has been established by the CBSG to facilitate sharing of workshop briefing materials and outputs, and reports and background papers. MIKE MAUNDER Al Ain Wildlife Park, Centre for Arid Land Conservation, Al Ain, United Arab Emirates E-mail michael.maunder@awpr.ae Reaching consensus: impact of the liana Sericostachys scandens on forest dynamics in Nyungwe National Park, Rwanda Sericostachys scandens is a native, monocarpic liana in Afromontane forests that mass flowers and dies back approximately every decade. It appears to be proliferating in the globally significant Nyungwe National Park, Rwanda, where it often covers trees, clearings and road edges, possibly causing tree mortality and impeding regeneration. Concern over such impacts, visible from the national road, has led some politicians and members of the public to demand interventions to control the liana. This concern and the resulting polemic have challenged decision makers. In Kahuzi-Biega National Park, eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, there is also concern about proliferation of S. scandens because of a perceived threat to gorilla habitat. But in other forests, such as Bwindi National Park, Uganda, S. scandens, although common, is not viewed as a problem. The Rwanda Environment Management Authority, in collaboration with the Rwanda Development Board (in charge of national parks), organized an international workshop on 24 September 2009 to reach consensus among the diverging opinions held by researchers and managers about the supposed proliferation of S. scandens in Nyungwe. The workshop, facilitated by the Wildlife Conservation Society and the Global Environment Facility–UNDP Montane Forest Project, united participants from Rwanda (25), Uganda (4), DRC (2), Europe (4) and the USA (2). Eight managers and 12 researchers participated, with remaining participants (17) in advisory positions. The workshop began with one overarching question: is S. scandens functioning within its historical parameters or has something triggered the recent proliferation, thus justifying interventions? Opinions were mapped through a participatory exercise. Just over half of the participants considered the liana’s proliferation to be within its natural range of variability. The level of intervention desired varied but, apart from one outlier, participants supported low to moderate intervention levels. Many agreed that our ignorance limits effective decision making for this species. Subsequently, research results from Nyungwe and Bwindi were presented, and participants then divided into research and management working groups, analysing current knowledge and required management interventions. S. scandens, a pioneer species dominating open areas, appears to be most abundant in eastern Nyungwe National Park. This most likely reflects recent human disturbances and may explain why this liana appears to have increased. Monitoring in the forest interior shows that following postflowering die-back of the species in 1994 other species increased rapidly in areas vacated by the liana. Ten years later, cover of S. scandens had reached pre-dieback levels. Various observers noted spatial variation in flowering events at different places in Nyungwe at varying times, as well as at varying periods between different forests. Early explorers reported that S. scandens was already abundant in Nyungwe in 1898 and 1907, despite the presence of elephants and buffaloes, refuting assumptions that the recent extirpation of these species triggered the proliferation of S. scandens. Observations from Bwindi suggest that while elephants occasionally feed on the liana they also favour habitat suitable for S. scandens by maintaining open areas. Participants agreed that reintroduction of elephants to Nyungwe would not suppress S. scandens. To understand the influence of S. scandens on forest dynamics and composition, monitoring of cover and abundance over the complete multi-annual life cycle of the species was recommended. The greatest knowledge gap appears to be the impact S. scandens may have on forest regeneration but there is also a need to document its local distribution. Participants concluded that political will for action and slow recovery of disturbed areas justify trial interventions that should consider: reduction (not elimination) of S. scandens, experience with ongoing forest regeneration trials, experimental cutting in highly visible places (e.g. along the national road), and the anticipated die-back conditions following the current flowering. The workshop concluded that the earlier polemic on S. scandens was related to the limited information available ª 2010 Fauna & Flora International, Oryx, 44(3), 321–327 http://journals.cambridge.org Downloaded: 30 Jul 2010 Username: oryx IP address: 62.49.242.126 325 326 Conservation news and poor communication between scientists, managers, decision-makers and the public. The proposed trial interventions represent a timely opportunity to address these deficiencies. The workshop report will soon be available at http://www.rema.gov.rw PAUL SCHOLTE* Kitabi College of Conservation and Environmental Management, Rwanda. E-mail pault.scholte@gmail.com LOUIS RUGYERINYANGE, FRANCOIS BIZIMUNGU and RUZIGANDEKWE Rwanda Development Board, Rwanda FIDEL NERISSA CHAO, FELIX MULINDAHABI and NICOLAS NTARE Wildlife Conservation Society, Rwanda DENNIS BABAASA and DOUGLAS SHEIL ITFC, Uganda ROBERT FIMBEL Washington State Parks, USA EBERHARD FISCHER Koblenz University, Germany JEAN GAPUSI Institut des Sciences Agronomiques du Rwanda, Rwanda BETH KAPLIN Antioch University New England, USA *Also at: Rwanda Development Board and, formerly, Rwanda Environment Management Authority and UNDP Japanese demand for ivory declines Japan has a long history of ivory carving, famous especially for the netsuke (an intricately carved toggle for the kimono) and signature stamps called hankos or inkans, used by nearly all adult Japanese for signing documents. Japan’s domestic ivory trade remains legal. However, uncertain supplies of new raw ivory, strict regulations, the long recession, the export ban and changes in fashion have reduced Japanese interest in ivory. In November 2009 we conducted an ivory survey in Tokyo and Osaka and found a variety of ivory items on display for sale in certain department stores, gift shops and hanko shops but in reduced amounts since Esmond Martin’s previous survey in 2001. After the 1990 CITES ban on international ivory trade, CITES allowed Japanese traders to buy 100 t of ivory from southern Africa in 1998. This was all from savannah elephants. Tusks from the forest elephants of Central and West Africa have been illegal to export from Africa since the CITES ban but traders and private individuals in Japan still have some old stocks of these. In 2001 the traders had 100 t of stock left and by 2008 60 t remained from savannah and forest elephants. In late 2008 the traders, with CITES permission, bought nearly 40 t of savannah elephant ivory from southern Africa, so by 2009 stocks were back to c. 100 t. But supplies are irregular and thus traders are worried; some have already left the business. About 80% of Japan’s raw ivory is used to make signature stamps; this percentage has remained constant for over 10 years. Of these, 90% are produced from so-called soft ivory from savannah elephants. Hankos are also made from wood, horn, stone and plastic. Still also produced in ivory, but in smaller amounts in recent years, are chopsticks (from so-called hard forest elephant ivory); jewellery and accessories (90% from soft ivory compared with 60% in 2001); small items for the traditional tea ceremony (mostly soft ivory); traditional musical instrument parts (hard ivory), especially the plectrum for the shamisen; and small figurines and netsukes (about 60% from hard ivory and 40% soft). In 2001 the Japanese crafted c. 13 t of ivory but in 2009 this had fallen to 7 t, according to the Japan Ivory Association. For example, members of the Association estimated that the number of signature stamps made in 2001 was c. 116,000 but in 2009 only 20,000–27,000. The wholesale price for raw ivory stayed the same in yen from 2001 to 2009, although it went up in dollar terms from USD 284 to 340 per kg for a 10 kg tusk, and from USD 200 to 284 per kg for a 5 kg tusk. The traders of Japan, to stay in the business, would like a steady supply of 10 t of good quality tusks per year at a price of c. USD 200 per kg. This is a sustainable amount that southern Africa could provide if the relevant countries’ governments can appropriately manage their elephants for CITES to approve the sales. There are other factors affecting the Japanese ivory trade. Demand worldwide for ivory items declined after the CITES ban. Campaigns against ivory succeeded in making it unfashionable and unpopular in the West and also in Japan, especially amongst the young. Ivory traders and carvers are untrained in publicizing a counter-argument and thus demand for ivory, and sales, have continued to fall in Japan, especially as campaigners have put heavy pressure on vendors and ivory outlets. In addition, Japanese culture is becoming more westernized and thus traditional items made of ivory are less in demand. The use of hankos is no longer compulsory in many sales and transactions. All this, compounded by the economic recession in Japan since 1990, has caused a slump in sales of ivory items. We had meetings with 15 of the main ivory traders in Japan. They lamented that few young people are learning to work with ivory. Most master carvers are over 70 years old and their numbers are declining. A master carver can make one or two netsukes per month. These miniature works of art were nearly all made for foreigners but now exports are not allowed. One ivory dealer described the ivory market as suffering from a triple punch: exports are banned, the economy is poor, and there has been a decline in the number of artisans in the main Japan Ivory Sculptors’ Association from 60 in 2002 to 46 in 2009 because fewer people are buying ivory carvings and complicated paperwork is now required. If a legal supply of African ivory from well-managed elephant populations cannot be secured for the Japanese craftsmen then there will be further reductions in Japan’s ª 2010 Fauna & Flora International, Oryx, 44(3), 321–327 http://journals.cambridge.org View publication stats Downloaded: 30 Jul 2010 Username: oryx IP address: 62.49.242.126