Concern for elephants as antique dealers oppose UK Ivory Act
A GROUP of antique dealers has launched a high court application in the UK to overturn a law to help protect elephants from poachers and curb the trade in ivory.
The UK Ivory Act, which introduces tough regulations on the buying and selling of almost all ivory from, to and within the UK, was passed with overwhelming public support and cross-party parliamentary backing in 2018. The law received royal assent to become law in December that year.
Resistance from the antiques trade lobby group, Friends of Antique Cultural Treasures (Fact), led to a judicial review in the high court which upheld the Ivory Act in October last year. The group then filed an appeal that will be heard in the high court on Monday.
An opinion poll in 2017 found that 85% of the public questioned in the UK were in favour of a ban, with no evidence to show that public attitudes have changed. But Fact claims the act infringes on their human rights by not letting them buy or sell ivory. They had also argued that the act was incompatible with EU law, which allows trade in pre-1947 “antique” ivory.
Mary Rice, executive director of the Environmental Investigation Agency (EIA) said: “It would be a tragedy for endangered elephants if the UK Ivory Act were to be cut down at this final hurdle, not to mention a slap in the face for the vast majority of British citizens who quite clearly put elephant protection far above the right to make money off blood ivory.”
She feared that overturning the act, following the appeal, would have devastating consequences.
About 55 African elephants are poached every day.
While the antiques trade claims the Ivory Act would result in “substantial economic damage” to the industry, ivory accounts for less than 1% of annual sales in many UK auction houses. The act does not prevent individuals from owning ivory, from passing items on as family heirlooms or donating them to museums, and it includes a number of carefully crafted exemptions, such as pianos with ivory keys.
Thirteen African governments belonging to the Elephant Protection Initiative (EPI) signed a statement welcoming the passing of the act in 2018.
“When the UK ivory ban was introduced and passed, it was a clear indication that the government had listened to the voices of many African leaders whose countries are home to the worlds African elephants,” said EPI chief executive Miles Geldard.
The UK government hoped that introducing the act would encourage other countries to follow suit. The European Commission is considering new restrictions on the ivory trade, based on the UK’s Ivory Act. Other countries, such as Singapore, Australia and New Zealand, have introduced or are in the process of introducing similar legislation based on the act, which has been described as emerging international best practice.
“As one of the biggest traders in legal ivory, the UK must shoulder its share of responsibility for reducing demand for ivory, and the UK Ivory Act, with its very narrow and limited exemptions, is an excellent step towards that,” Rice said.
“It would be a terrible injustice if the narrow financial interests of a handful of antiques dealers were put before the future of elephants and the will of the British people.”