Imports of ivory will be prohibited almost entirely starting today, in a move that conservationists have praised as “a good day for elephants.”
Those found guilty of buying, selling, or trading in elephant ivory goods of any age without first registering them or obtaining an exemption certificate face penalties that include an unlimited fine or up to five years in prison under the Ivory Act.
As part of the modifications, eBay will conduct a review of its website to ensure that ivory products are not being offered under coded descriptions in order to circumvent the law.
The prohibition, according to the government, will secure critical protection for elephants around the world and will put the UK “in the forefront of global conservation efforts.”
However, critics said it does not go far enough because other elephant body parts such as skin can still be traded, and that it does not cover ivory from other animals such as hippos and narwhals.
Elephants are frequently hunted for their tusks, and ivory demand is known to contribute to poaching and population decrease.
Between 2007 and 2014, the number of elephants roaming free in the wild has decreased by nearly a third, with the savanna elephant population plunging by roughly 30% – or 144,000 elephants – spanning 15 African countries.
Because of the global market for ivory, it is believed that 20,000 elephants are still slain each year.
The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) stated that the ban would secure critical protection for the world’s elephants by halting ivory trading in the UK, and that it would put the UK “at the forefront of global conservation efforts.”
‘The world-leading Ivory Act coming into force represents a landmark moment in ensuring the survival of elephants around the globe for future generations,’ said animal welfare minister Lord Goldsmith.
‘Every year, for financial gain, tens of thousands of elephants are unnecessarily and ruthlessly attacked for their ivory. We are sending a strong message that the commercial traffic in elephant ivory is completely unacceptable as one of the strictest bans of its kind.’
In one month alone, an investigation by animal charity Born Free discovered 1,832 overt and covert ads containing ivory in the UK, with an estimated value of £1.1 million pounds.
About 85% of the postings publicly listed ivory products, but 95% of those seeking to sell ivory disguised or represented as something else – generally ‘bone’ – were on eBay’s UK platform, which already outlaws the sale of ivory.
‘Born Free has long advocated for an end to all ivory trade, therefore we are glad to finally welcome the UK’s Ivory Act,’ said Dr Mark Jones, the organization’s head of policy.
‘Its implementation now needs to be sufficiently rigorous to ensure that only things that truly fit the exemption criteria can be exchanged in the future, and that any violations are dealt with swiftly and sternly.’
‘Today is a good day for elephants,’ said James Sawyer, UK director of the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW). With up to 20,000 elephants poached for ivory every year, this restriction could not have arrived at a better time.
‘Legal ivory markets have long served as a cover for criminal ivory trade, endangering endangered elephants. Ivory commerce in the UK has now been officially abolished, and everyone who contributed to this significant conservation triumph should be proud.’