Following the ban on ivory in mainland China with effect from January 1, 2018, Hong Kong, a special administrative region of China, has set a timetable for a ban on ivory trading, with a phase-out time of five years to completely eradicating it, by 2021.
Currently, Hong Kong shops are estimated to have ivory stockpile of about 670 tonnes. The new law increased the maximum sentence for ivory trade to a HK$10 million fine, which is double the current amount, and 10 years in prison, from the current two years.
Margaret Kinnaird, leader of World Wildlife Fund (WWF) Wildlife Practice said, "We're thrilled that Hong Kong, another major ivory market, will close its doors to legal ivory trade by 2021, joining China in showing great commitment in safeguarding a future for elephants... However, to ensure these legislative bans are not undermined, it'll be critical for China and Hong Kong to boost enforcement and awareness efforts as well as tackle the rife black market."
Ivory has a long history in Hong Kong. The white material from elephant tusks has been traded in the former British territory for more than 150 years. Ivory is used in manufacturing piano and organ keys, billiard balls, handles, and minor objects of decorative value.
The 1975 Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) was put in effect to ban the International ivory sales since 1989. Iris Ho, a spokesperson for Humane Society International has demanded even the UK and European Union to follow suit and impose a ban ivory sales. "Now that their biggest customer is rejecting ivory consumption, the UK and EU should take swift action and shut down their domestic markets as well," she told the Independent.
Cheryl Lo, a spokesperson for the World Wildlife Fund, said the ban was a clear commitment to save the future of African elephants."This will help reverse the trend of elephant poaching and illegal ivory trafficking."
Authorities in Hong Kong seized the world's biggest ever haul of ivory tusks worth around 7.2 tonnes in July 2017. On January 13, 2018 officials have seized large elephant tusks worth more than $450,000 in Thailand from the Suvarnabhumi International Airport in Bangkok. The poached ivory from Lagos was discovered in a cargo.
Not only ivories, these illegal markets also sell other animal products like bear, tiger claws, rhino horns and pangolin scales, which are often used in traditional Chinese medicine. Often weak laws fail to protect these animals which then fall prey to human greed and end up being smuggled across the borders.
