China's wildlife watchdog has recently levied a one-year importation ban on carved ivory items. (Photo : China Daily)
China will be imposing a one-year importation ban of carved ivory items which were acquired after July 1, 1975, amid the criticism that demand from Chinese consumers fuels poaching in Africa. The ban which took effect on Thursday and was announced by China's wildlife watchdog, the State Forestry Administration, China Daily reported.
This ban will only affect those ivories that were acquired after the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora came into force. The said move was to show the country's commitment in restraining the illegal ivory trade and also to protect the elephants in Africa, explained Meng Xianlin, Executive Director-General of the Endangered Species Import and Export Management Office of China.
"We also hope more policies will be introduced by more countries, especially African ones, that include habitat protection, law enforcement and ivory market management," Meng added.
China is the number one and largest imported of smuggled tusks. However, the Chinese government explained that it is exerting stronger efforts to stop the illegal trading which was fired-up due to a desire for ivory from a progressively well-off population.
Ivory trade was banned in 1989 by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (Cites), but China is still allowed to do domestic trade and has currently about 150 licensed shops, according to BBC News.
The Chinese government was given permission to import a consignment of over 60 tons of ivory from Africa six years ago.
Conservationists believed that this has empowered the demand which led to an underground trade where crime of slaughtering elephants were done to keep-up with the demand from Asian markets.
