China's Ban on Ivory Trade takes effect Morning Brief Wednesday 3 January 2018

Ranger Jean Claude Mambo Marindo sits beside almost a hundred tusks seized from elephant poachers at Garamba National Park, in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC)

Beijing, China

As the world ushered in the new year with celebrations, in China a ban on the domestic sale and processing of ivory and its products took effect. The world's largest importer and end user of elephant tusks made good on their joint commitment with the United States in 2015 when president Xi Jinping and his counterpart President Barack Obama announced plans on a near total ban on the sale and importation of ivory.

Poaching and smuggling of wild animals are estimated to be worth $20 billion ranking fourth among illegal trade behind the drug, counterfeiting, and human trafficking. African countries have born the brunt of poaching with some 30,000 elephants slaughtered every year for ivory with Asian countries being the main beneficiary according to the World Wildlife Fund (WWF). Some wildlife activists have noted with concern the industrial scale poaching of wild elephants in Africa which has shrunk the populations of the majestic beasts from 1.3 million to just 350,000 in the past forty years. Ivory is in demand for intricate carvings, trinkets, chopsticks, and other items.

A worker in Guangzhou in 2009 carves ivory into the shape of a Chinese deity. Photograph by TYRONE SIU, courtesy REUTERS

The illegal trade has been linked to terrorist organizations and organized crime. Celebrities like former Houston Rockets basketball player Yao Ming, have been at the forefront in educating the public about the harmful effects of ivory trading.

Yao Ming in an anti-ivory campaign

Ginette Hemley, the senior vice president of wildlife conservation at WWF issued a statement saying, “Decades from now, we may point back to this as one of the most important days in the history of elephant conservation. China has followed through on a great promise it made to the world, offering hope for the future of elephants...This ban alone won’t end the poaching of elephants. It’s equally critical that China’s neighbors follow suit and shut down ivory markets across Asia. Only then can we ensure the open trade doesn’t simply shift to other countries and offer traffickers safe channels for newly-poached ivory."

A new report also found out that the price of ivory has plummeted. A group of researchers from Save the Elephants, a nonprofit organization, found that the wholesale price in early 2014 was $2,100 per kilogram and now it hovers around $730 per kilogram.On Feb. 26, 2015, China announced a one-year ban on imports of ivory carvings, which has since been extended. The partial ban that was already in place led to a to an 80 percent decline in seizures of ivory entering the country, as well as a 65 percent decline in raw ivory prices.

Although its a welcome move, more needs to be done to end the ivory markets in Asia. Primarily in countries such as Vietnam, Philippines, Singapore, and Thailand. There is also a need for increased investment in African wildlife service rangers who are ill-equipped to handle international organized crime. Also, local communities need to be sensitized on the importance of wildlife and environmental conservation.

The Black Mambas, majority female anti-poaching unit in South Africa.