Ivory Trade Ban Victory

THE State Council of China has recently announced that the country will end the processing and domestic trade of ivory by 2017. The first group of factories and traders will shut down their operations by March 31 this year， as law enforcement agencies are set to get tough with illegal operations connected to all things ivory.

The announcement was made after Chinas decision in March last year to place a three-year ban on ivory imports and will affect the 34 processing enterprises and 143 designated trading venues according to the State Forestry Administration.

Conservationists are hoping the announcement will go a long way to putting a stop to the poaching of elephants in Africa， which if left unchecked could pose a real threat of extinction for these giant beasts. Trade in ivory was banned internationally in 1989， but several countries continued to trade in the commodity domestically.

The World Wildlife Fund （WWF） says that poachers kill between 20，000 and 30，000 African elephants each year for their tusks， primarily to satisfy the demand for ivory products in Asia.

The new regulations come at a time when questions were being asked about Chinas specific timetable to halt ivory trade， following the joint promise made between Chinese President Xi Jinping and former U.S. President Barack Obama in 2015 to stop illegal and legal ivory trade in their countries.

“Chinas announcement is a game changer for elephant conservation，” said Carter Roberts， WWF President and CEO. “With the U.S. also ending its domestic ivory trade earlier this year， two of the largest ivory markets have taken action.”

The Chinese Governments efforts to make a concerted attempt to put the brakes on the demand for ivory is a great victory for conservation， but these efforts must filter down to the ground and the word needs to spread far and wide so all those involved in poaching activities are aware of this game-changing step. The ban will also only be as effective as its enforcement and this， no doubt， is where the global scrutiny will be focused - meaning regular updates of action taken must be forthcoming.

WildAid CEO Peter Knights has lauded the ban， saying Chinas exit from the ivory trade is the greatest single step that could be taken to reduce poaching for elephants. An additional area of concern is that by China shutting down its ivory trade， it may potentially mean trade of this commodity will find other markets in Asia. This means a concerted effort is required to crack down on all markets and really put a stranglehold on poaching.

While the ban itself is a very positive step， some observers also see the move as a broader effort by the Chinese Government to raise the countrys profile in relation to environmental issues as a whole， after its strong progressive stance on the issue of climate change.

This represents a solid step in the right direction and continues to demonstrate Chinas awareness and dedication to its global responsibilities.