A new law banning the sale of ivory products in the UK from today is a “historic moment” in the protection of elephants, according to the government.
But despite being well received by conservationists, there are concerns that it does not go far enough to protect other species.
It has taken four years for the 2018 Ivory Law to be implemented, and groups such as the charity Born Free say the delay has allowed the ivory trade to not only continue, but to find new ways to exploit it. the animals.
A joint statement from 14 conservation NGOs states: “Given the known threats of the ivory trade to elephants, it is unfortunate that the road to implementing the UK Ivory Act has been so slow.
“In 2017, it was revealed that the United Kingdom was the world’s largest exporter of antique ivory, especially to China and Hong Kong, two illegal ivory trading points. As of today, the United Kingdom United Kingdom adds its name to the growing list of countries banning the law. Ivory trade in its domestic markets. “
The Ivory Act provides for potential fines of up to £ 250,000 for anyone who illegally sells ivory to or from the UK.
There are still some items that can be sold for free, such as miniature portraits, musical instruments, items with low ivory content, sales to qualified museums, and rare / important items.
Animal welfare minister Lord Goldsmith said: “The entry into force of the World Leading Ivorian Act marks a historic moment in ensuring the survival of elephants around the world for future generations.
“Thousands of elephants are attacked unnecessarily and cruelly by their ivory every year for economic gain.
“As one of the harshest bans of its kind, we are sending a clear message that the commercial trade in elephant ivory is totally unacceptable.”
Image: An estimated 20,000 elephants a year are slaughtered for their ivory
“Shocking” amount of ivory in the UK market
Not surprisingly, the Internet has become a major marketplace for unscrupulous traders, and a report commissioned by Born Free highlights the scale and scope of the UK’s online ivory market.
In one month, the charity discovered 1,832 open and covert online lists containing ivory, valued at an estimated £ 1.1 million. Of the listings that sought to sell disguised ivory or described as something else, 95% were on eBay UK, a platform that already bans the sale of ivory. Many of these covert items were mislabeled as “bone”.
Frankie Osuch, head of political support at Born Free, says: “I know the ivory trade is a global issue, but I was amazed at how many ivory items I found here in the UK.
“Assessing the demand and value of ivory is important, as this has been related to elephant poaching rates. I hope the new sanctions associated with the Ivory Law will be sufficient to encourage compliance between all merchants “.
eBay says it uses complex algorithms to identify “code words” that are used to disguise the sale of ivory products.
“eBay is a founding member of the Coalition to End Online Wildlife Trafficking,” a spokesman said. “We have been working for many years to address the illegal trade in elephant ivory and have been working with WWF and IFAW to continually update our policies and processes.
“We have global teams dedicated to enforcing our policies, and over the past two years we’ve blocked or removed more than 265,000 listings banned by our animal policy.”
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The report suggests that elephant ivory can still be sold under the guise of other species and that the risk for species not wearing elephant ivory (such as walruses, narwhals and hippos) could increase as sellers try to exploit “legal alternatives”.
As a result, several conservation charities and NGOs are calling on the government to extend the ban on ivory to include ivory from other species and to ensure that associated sanctions are sufficient to deter people from mislabeling products. of ivory.