Nov. 6 (Bloomberg) -- South Africa sold 47 metric tons of ivory, completing a series of auctions sanctioned by the United Nations that skirt a ban on dealing in elephant tusks until 2016.

Botswana, Namibia and Zimbabwe have also been holding sales since Oct. 28, with a total of about 108 tons available. The four countries were allowed to hold the sales, the first in the region since 1999, because of their large elephant populations.

The auctions were authorized to placate southern African countries that have a surplus of elephants, while the animal is considered endangered in other parts of the continent such as Kenya. Buyers from China, previously barred from participating because of concern that it was buying smuggled ivory, have been permitted to take part.

``We fully appreciate and embrace our responsibility to ensure that we stamp down on poaching,'' David Mabunda, chief executive officer of the South African National Parks, said in an e-mailed statement after the sale in Pretoria, the capital, garnered $6.7 million. ``We intend to use considerable amounts of the funds we raised today towards increasing our anti-poaching activity.''

The four countries have a combined elephant population of 312,000.

The ivory in today's sale changed hands for $142 per kilogram (2.2 pounds), National Parks said. Twelve Chinese and 22 Japanese buyers bid for the 51 tons offered. Namibia raised $1.1 million from its Oct. 28 sale of 7.2 tons of ivory. At the four sales, 101 tons were sold for about $15 million, National Parks said.

Ivory in its uncut form sells for $850 a kilogram or more in Asian markets, IFAW said. Conservationists said the government auctions could encourage poachers.

`Irresponsible'

``Allowing this exorbitant amount of ivory to flood the market, considering the level of elephant poaching occurring today, is just plain irresponsible,'' Michael Wamithi, Elephants Program director for the International Fund For Animal Welfare, said in an e-mailed statement. ``By permitting legal trade in ivory, we are only encouraging the laundering of stocks by poachers, thereby increasing illegal hunting activities.''

Commercial trade in ivory was banned by the UN Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species in 1989. In 1999, Botswana, Namibia and Zimbabwe were permitted to make a one-time sale of 50 tons to Japan to raise $5 million for conservation. The ivory sold in the current auctions came from elephants that died from natural causes and, in some cases, from culling operations.

While elephants are threatened elsewhere on the continent, their numbers have surged in southern Africa, damaging the environment. South Africa is considering ending a 14-year halt to culls amid concern elephants are breeding too quickly.

Requests for Easing

Last year, Botswana and Namibia made a joint proposal to ease restrictions on the ivory trade. Botswana also sought permission for a one-time sale of 40 tons and an annual export quota of 8 tons. Kenya and Mali asked for the ban to be extended for 20 years.

Elephants in the four countries have flourished because they have been largely protected by effective action against poachers in national parks.

African elephants can weigh as much as 6.5 tons and live for 70 years. They demonstrate complex social behavior, such as covering dead animals with leaves and twigs and staying by the body for days, according to the Web site of Wayne State University in Detroit.

Elephants tear down trees, threatening ecosystems that animals such as the bush pig depend on, South African National Parks says on its Web site. They also break fences, escape from parks to steal crops and are followed by buffaloes that spread foot-and-mouth disease, it said.

In South Africa's biggest protected conservation area, the Kruger National Park, the elephant population is rising by 12 percent a year and is expected to reach 20,000 by 2012, according to the parks authority. The park's ecosystem is capable of supporting 7,500 elephants, it said.

To contact the reporter on this story: Antony Sguazzin in Johannesburg at asguazzin@bloomberg.net.

Last Updated: November 6, 2008 10:26 EST