China bans the ivory trade

Environment · Lorenzo Brenna · 2017-01-02

By the end of 2017, the sale and processing of ivory will be prohibited in China in order to combat elephant poaching.

Better late than never: last Friday, China announced a ban on its domestic ivory trade by the end of 2017. This is a historic decision that closes the world's largest ivory market and could deal a decisive blow to poaching of elephants in Africa (it is estimated that between 50 and 70 per cent of all smuggled ivory ends up in China).

Avorio confiscato — Poverty, rampant corruption among law enforcement agencies and persistently high demand for ivory are the three main causes of elephant poaching for tusks. Closing the principal ivory market — China's — will help reduce poaching (Photo credit should read BERTRAND GUAY/AFP/Getty Images)

Ban on sale and processing

A notice published by China's State Council states that all ivory sales and processing activities will be halted by 31 December 2017, while numerous businesses connected to the ivory trade will be closed by March. The Ministry of Culture will help workers employed in the sector, including master carvers, to find related employment. Those who own ivory objects will be able to sell them at auction after obtaining government approval.

Stopping the elephant massacre

The measure announced by the Asian country aims to save African elephants, which are increasingly threatened by the ivory trade. According to recent research by the Iucn, the elephant population fell by 20 per cent between 2006 and 2015 and currently stands at 415,000 individuals. The number of individuals killed for their precious tusks exceeds the number of births, placing the survival of the species in Africa at serious risk.

Branco di elefanti africani — The elephant massacre also represents a huge economic loss for the African continent. According to a study published in Nature, tourism in Africa has lost $25 million a year due to the illegal killing of elephants: $250 million over ten years (Photo credit should read TONY KARUMBA/AFP/Getty Images)

The best conservation news of 2016

The announcement was met with enthusiastic reactions from environmental organisations. "It's the best conservation news of 2016," said Alex Hofford, a conservation photojournalist who has lived in Hong Kong for many years. According to figures released by the Wwf, around 20,000 elephants are killed by poachers every year; this slaughter has decimated the numbers of the enormous herbivores, which in the last century numbered almost five million. "Beijing's decision demonstrates the determination to help save African elephants from extinction," said Cheryl Lo of Wwf Hong Kong. "Now the three main global ivory markets — China, Hong Kong and the United States — are in the process of being wound down." "China, having been the primary driver of elephant poaching, could become the primary solution," said a satisfied Iain Douglas-Hamilton, founder of Save the Elephants.

Ivory crush in Cina — Beijing's decision could save elephants before it is too late. According to experts, if mortality rates remain at current levels, there is a real risk that these animals could become extinct by 2025 (Photo credit should read AFP/AFP/Getty Images)

The weight of public opinion

China's decision comes after years of growing pressure, both international and domestic, from wildlife advocates. "China's announcement represents a turning point for elephant conservation," commented Carter Roberts, president of the Wwf.