Saturday, 17 July 2021

That Will Bring Ivory Poachers to Heel!

The UK's Ivory Act bans the import to this country of elephant tusks and/or material recently made from this substance (there are exceptions for some antiques). The act will possibly be extended to include ivory from the teeth of the hippopotamus, the walrus and killer whales. These animals are also imperilled by illegal poaching (https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2021/jul/17/uk-government-seeks-to-extend-protection-of-ivory-bearing-animals). The inclusion of these other species is logical. It is, however, unlikely to have much impact on poaching. The UK is currently hardly a substantial market for ivory and ivory goods. Only a world-wide ban on the use of all forms of ivory (making the material effectively worthless) is likely to reduce poaching.

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