Hong Kong to Ban Ivory Sales

According to a press release from one of our project partners, WildAid, Hong Kong Legislative Councillors have TODAY voted to ban ivory sales with a landslide victory of 48 law-makers voting for the bill and 4 against! We would like to congratulate the Hong Kong government for taking this step in helping to avert extinction. The local trade will be gradually phased out over the next 3 and a half years and pre-convention ivory imports and re-exports will be banned from August this year.

The vote comes just one month after China shut down all commercial processing and sales of ivory at the end of 2017, which is being celebrated this afternoon, at a reception at the Palace of Westminster, hosted by Mr Richard Graham MP, Chair of the All Party Parliamentary China Group and which DSWF’s CEO, Karen Botha will be attending. China’s ban which came into force at the end of 2017, will play a crucial role in tackling the African elephant poaching crisis and Karen will be joined at the event by MPs, NGO’s and representatives from other governments that have an interest in closing down the illegal ivory trade.

Today’s news from Hong Kong is a breakthrough but the fight is far from over and DSWF will continue to lobby to see all other countries close loopholes that allow the illegal trade of ivory to continue.