Nearly 10 years of talks about legalising the international trade in ivory have been scrapped amid efforts to save the elephant from rampant poaching.

The population of the African elephant has fallen by more than 110,000 in just a decade, leaving a population of some 415,000.

There has been a campaign to legalise the trade in ivory, rhino horn and other animal parts, with supporters arguing that turning endangered animals into a valuable economic resource could actually help save them from extinction.

However, at an international meeting of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), member states voted to end negotiations about a legalised international trade which began in 2007.

The European Union used its bloc vote of 28 countries to back the decision.

A European Commission (EC) spokesperson said: “In the current circumstances where poaching and trafficking levels remain at alarmingly high levels, the EU considers that there is no justification to prolong discussions on the possibility and conditions that international trade in ivory could resume in the future.

“The EU recognises the challenges faced by elephant range states and is a strong supporter of African countries for biodiversity protection and in their fights against wildlife trafficking.”

Under current rules, trade in old ivory – before the elephant became formally protected – is allowed; also domestic trade in any kind of ivory is allowed within Botswana, South Africa, Namibia and Zimbabwe.

An EC source told The Independent that the EU had not excluded the idea that the debate could re-open but “only after clear indications that elephant poaching and ivory trafficking have substantially decreased”.

Two countries, Namibia and Zimbabwe, had tabled motions that sought to explore the possibility of a legal international trade. South Africa has also joined them in opposing the current international ban, which is due to expire next year.

During a debate at London’s Royal Institution ahead of the CITES meeting, South African John Hume, who has the world’s largest rhino farm, argued

“If the international ban on trade in rhino horn is seen by the world’s conservation body called CITES to be a positive strategy for all rhinos species, why has South Africa lost 6,000 rhinos to poaching in the last few years?” he said.

Wounded elephant rescue Show all 12 1 /12 Wounded elephant rescue Wounded elephant rescue Ben the elephant arrives looking for help Staff and guests at the Bumi Hills Foundation in Zimbabwe were surprised to see a wounded bull elephant seeming seeking help outside their window. Bumi Hills Foundation Wounded elephant rescue A vet arrives Vet Dr Richard Hoare flew in from Harare to treat Ben. Bumi Hills Foundation Wounded elephant rescue Getting Ben on the ground It takes 12 people to get the tranquilised animal on the ground so his wound can be treated. They also gave him a tracking collar so they can see how he is doing in the future. Bumi Hills Foundation Wounded elephant rescue Ben's gunshot wound The elephant had a septic wound which was 4cm in diameter and 10cm deep. Bumi Hills Foundation Wounded elephant rescue Looking after a tranquilised elephant The team placed a stick in Ben's trunk to make sure he could breathe. They monitored his breathing throughout the procedure. Bumi Hills Foundation Wounded elephant rescue Looking for the bullet Workers at the foundation used metal detectors to locate the bullets, however none were found. Bumi Hills Foundation Wounded elephant rescue Cleaning out the wound The vet and the safari team set about treating the wound, cleaning it out with a probe. Bumi Hills Foundation Wounded elephant rescue Cleaning out the wound A incision was created below the wound to allow fluids to drain out. Bumi Hills Foundation Wounded elephant rescue Elephants need a lot of antibiotics Dr Hoare administered a staggering 120ml of long-acting antibiotics to Ben. Bumi Hills Foundation Wounded elephant rescue In the wars The two bullet holes in Ben's ears show he has been a victim of poachers before. Bumi Hills Foundation Wounded elephant rescue Bumi Hills Foundation Helping Ben was a team effort by those at the foundation. Bumi Hills Foundation Wounded elephant rescue Ben's back on his feet A little unstable, but Ben managed to stand up a few minutes after the team were finished, and made his way tentatively back into the bush. Bumi Hills Foundation

“These resources are the birth-right of the African people and a major avenue to uplift its people, the rural community who are the poorest of the poor and an easy target for criminals who recruit them for becoming poachers.”

But Will Travers, the president of the Born Free Foundation, hit back saying the future of some of the “world’s most iconic species” would be at risk from a legalised trade, describing the prospect as a “nightmare” for conservation efforts.