West and Central Africa appear to the be source of a sharp increase since 2008 in illegal trade in ivory, with China as the main destination, according to Traffic, a group that monitors ivory trade. Trafficking has doubled, the group reports. The suspected increase is based on quantities of ivory seized, which are likely only a fraction of the traffic, the group says. No explanation is given for the increase, but the analysis was done in advance of a Cites meeting to review ivory trade. Cites, Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, is an international agreement to which countries are signatories.

Links to sites: BBC, Traffic, Cites

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