UK leads the way with a total ban on sale of ivory
SALES of ivory, including almost all antiques, will be outlawed following a campaign by Prince William.
Environment Secretary Michael Gove confirmed the prohibition after a consultation found it was backed by most of the country.
The ban, which will be the toughest in Europe and among the toughest in the world, will help to tackle poaching and combat the illegal ivory trade.
The number of elephants has declined by almost a third in the past decade. Around 20,000 a year – 55 a day – are slaughtered to feed the global demand for their tusks.
The Duke of Cambridge has campaigned to halt the trade in the prized material, alongside the charity Tusk Trust, of which he is a patron.
Almost all antique ivory will be included in the ban, except for when an item is either very old or contains only a tiny percentage of the material. Instruments such as pianos will be exempt if they contain less than 20 per cent of ivory and were made before 1975. Museums will be exempt and will be able to decide which are the most important examples of ivory as art.
The maximum penalty for breaching the new ban will be an unlimited fine or up to five years in jail. Mr Gove said: ‘Ivory
‘Protect elephants for future generations’
should never be seen as a commodity for financial gain or a status symbol, so we will introduce one of the world’s toughest bans on ivory sales to protect elephants for future generations.
‘The ban on ivory sales we will bring into law will reaffirm the UK’s global leadership on this critical issue, demonstrating our belief that the abhorrent ivory trade should become a thing of the past.’
Charlie Mayhew, chief executive of Tusk Trust, said: ‘We are delighted that the Government has listened to our concerns and the overwhelming public response to their consultation. The ban will ensure there is no value for modern-day ivory and the tusks of recently poached elephants cannot enter the UK market.
Tanya Steele, chief executive of WWF, said: ‘This ban makes the UK a global leader in tackling this bloody trade and it’s something WWF has been fighting hard for.’