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Banking On Extinction: Ivory Storage And Elephant Conservation

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  • Bulte, Erwin H.
  • Horan, Richard D.
  • Shogren, Jason F.

Abstract

Ivory poachers threaten the half million remaining African elephants. In response, Kremer and Morcom (2000) offer a novel solution to reduce the risk of extinction -- a local government can stockpile ivory and threaten to dump it on the market if the elephant population falls too low lowering the expected returns from ivory sales and driving poachers out of business). We show that ivory stockpiling could be detrimental to elephant conservation because large stocks create strong incentives for strategic extinction by African governments. This result suggests an alternative strategy to enhance the viability of African elephant stocks -- international conservation organizations rather than governments should hold the stockpiles.

Suggested Citation

  • Bulte, Erwin H. & Horan, Richard D. & Shogren, Jason F., 2001. "Banking On Extinction: Ivory Storage And Elephant Conservation," 2001 Annual meeting, August 5-8, Chicago, IL 20505, American Agricultural Economics Association (New Name 2008: Agricultural and Applied Economics Association).
    • Handle: RePEc:ags:aaea01:20505
    DOI: 10.22004/ag.econ.20505
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Shogren,Jason F. & Tschirhart,John (ed.), 2001. "Protecting Endangered Species in the United States," Cambridge Books, Cambridge University Press, number 9780521662109.
    2. Erwin H. Bulte & G. Cornelis van Kooten, 1999. "Economics of Antipoaching Enforcement and the Ivory Trade Ban," American Journal of Agricultural Economics, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association, vol. 81(2), pages 453-466.
    3. Cropper, Maureen L & Aydede, Sema K & Portney, Paul R, 1994. "Preferences for Life Saving Programs: How the Public Discounts Time and Age," Journal of Risk and Uncertainty, Springer, vol. 8(3), pages 243-265, May.
    4. Holden, Stein T. & Shiferaw, Bekele & Wik, Mette, 1998. "Poverty, market imperfections and time preferences: of relevance for environmental policy?," Environment and Development Economics, Cambridge University Press, vol. 3(1), pages 105-130, February.
    5. Burton, Michael, 1999. "An assessment of alternative methods of estimating the effect of the ivory trade ban on poaching effort," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 30(1), pages 93-106, July.
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    Cited by:

    1. van Kooten, G. Cornelis, 2006. "A Dynamic Bioeconomic Model of Ivory Trade: Details and Extended Results," Working Papers 37030, University of Victoria, Resource Economics and Policy.
    2. van Kooten, G. Cornelis, 2006. "Protecting the African Elephant: A Dynamic Bioeconomic Model of Ivory Trade," 2006 Annual meeting, July 23-26, Long Beach, CA 21206, American Agricultural Economics Association (New Name 2008: Agricultural and Applied Economics Association).

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