Hong Kong calls for ivory trade ban
HONG Kong has called for an end to ivory trading within five years, a move activists hailed as significant, given the financial hub’s reputation as a wildlife trafficking black spot.
The former British colony acts as an important transit and consumption hub for illegal ivory to China and the rest of Asia.
This is due to its role as a major importer, trader and manufacturer before the trade was banned in 1990.
Hong Kong allows trade in “pre-convention ivory” – products like ivory carvings and craftwork acquired before 1975 – as long as they are certified.
Officials discussed a plan yesterday to ban all forms of ivory trading completely by the end of 2021.
This follows sustained campaigning by activists who argued that the legal trade masked an illegal parallel trade which encouraged elephant killings.
The Hong Kong government said it was committed to the protection of endangered species in a paper presented to the city’s legislature.
Legislator Elizabeth Quat said ivory smuggling tarnished Hong Kong’s image.
“The international community has become aware that the killing of elephants can only be stopped by putting an end to such trading,” she said.
Conservation group WWF has campaigned fiercely to phase out commercial ivory sales within two years.
The environmental body said more than 30 000 African elephants were poached for their tusks each year.