Photo: John Hickey-Fry/Public Domain. The following statement was released by the Wildlife Conservation Society's Asia Executive Director Aili Kang:
“China has announced that it will close its domestic commercial elephant ivory trade in 2017. President Xi Jinping announced last year that China would take this action and now we have a timeline. This is great news that will shut down the world's largest market for elephant ivory. I am very proud of my country for showing this leadership that will help ensure that elephants have a fighting chance to beat extinction. This is a game changer for Africa's elephants."
The announcement further states that The Republic of China, will carry out its objective of combatting illegal ivory trade in four successive stages.
First, China will bring about a total stop to all commercial processing and sale of ivory products. The relevant units shall stop processing and selling ivory products within the set time limit.
Second, the state will actively guide the transformation and rehabilitation of ivory carving groups, encouraging them instead to work for museums and other institutions engaged in related art restoration work.
Third, a strict management of “legitimate collection of ivory and ivory products will be put into place."
Fourth, the country will strengthen its law enforcement supervision to intensify its crackdown on illegal ivory trade. In addition, China also plans to conduct extensive public awareness and education activities in order to create a favourable environment for protection of elephants and other wild animals.
This decision comes as a monumental step in ending the global ivory trade as, according to Ali Kang, with this step ivory traffickers will lose one of their biggest markets.
Sources: WCS Newsroom
