China has finally banned the legal ivory trade!
Most countries have banned the trade of ivory products many years ago, but China kept the legal market open for a much longer time. From January 1st 2018 the legal ivory market was finally banned in China as well, which is a huge win for conservation groups all over the world.
An African Elephant with two good-looking ivory tusks. Image by Gary M. Stolz/U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, posted as Public Domain.
What exactly is ivory?
Ivory is a hard material that has traditionally been used for ornaments, where beautiful carvings on big pieces of ivory can be extremely valuable. The chemical composition of ivory is mostly made of dentin, the same material that is the major component of our own teeth, as well as all other mammal teeth.
Most ivory comes from elephant tusks, but other sources such as mammoth tusks that have melted from the permafrost, or more common sources such as orcas, sperm whale, narwhal, wart hogs, walruses or hippos. These latter ones are less valuable compared to elephant or mammoth, since each piece is a lot smaller, and can therefore only be used for very small ornaments.
Some of the alternative ivory sources are also legal to buy, own or sell in certain countries, while elephant tusk ivory is illegal is most places, now including China, which is what I wanted to write about today.
A beautiful ivory carving made from elephant tusk. This object was seized in the United States, and was later destroyed. Image is Public Domain.
I originally intended to write a few paragraphs about how elephants are endangered because of this ivory trade, but I'm sure most of you already know a lot about that, but the short story is that elephants are extremely threatened because people kill them to loot their ivory tusks, an illegal poaching that could be worth hundreds of thousand dollars for a big pair of tusks.
The ivory trade is now illegal in China
Up until the beginning of 2018, it was fully legal to trade ivory within the Chinese borders. Due to the fact that there is an international ban on ivory, China would not legally be allowed to import ivory from another country into theirs, which makes it a mystery how China even got all its legal ivory in the first place, since there are very few elephants there compared to how much ivory they produce. Obviously a lot of it was smuggled into the country, and sold legally to rich people who wanted to show off their wealth.
Anyway, as of a few days ago, the legal trade is no more, and it will now be illegal to both sell and buy ivory even inside the national borders. This puts an end to the 143 stores that sold ivory, as well as the 34 ivory processing facilities in the country, and promises a better future for the elephants that are still alive.
Thanks for reading
Thanks for reading my post about China's ban on the ivory trade. I do think this will lead to a brighter future for the elephant species, despite the illegal market still being there. I really hope we are able to keep the elephants extant for a long time, because they are really amazing animals that would be terribly missed if they were to disappear in the wild.
Linking to the original sources is a bit tricky, since they are in Chinese, and I cannot read that, but the statement from WWF regarding the ban should be a good source to use to verify that what I write is correct.
If you are interested in this subject, then I urge you to check out the movie The Ivory Game on Netflix, it's a really good documentary about how ivory gets poached and enters the Chinese market.
And as always, leave a comment below if you got any questions, or just want to share something with the rest of us!
Let hope it will help! The demand is pretty huge with an ever increasing middle class in China.
Yeah, I really hope it helps. I think at least some people will be put off by the fact that it's illegal now, while many will probably not care. However, I'm pretty sure it will be more difficult to get their hands on now that the stores are no longer able to sell it.
I'm glad that China has put a ban on the ivory trade.
I thought it was a bit funny about China's mysterious ivory, given that they can't import it.
Do you think this illegal trading will continue happening now that it has been banned? Will the ban make enough of a difference?
Thanks for stopping by and commenting, @calathea! I think this will lead to less ivory being bought and sold, but I also don't think it will make the market completely disappear. It's illegal in most other countries in the world, such as in the United States, but the police still manages to stop a lot of smuggling into the country anyway, so it's safe to assume that there is still a market for it over there. I think the same will happen with China; the illegal market will grow.
However, overall I do think that the demand will be reduced, so it's most likely a big win for the elephants.
Any reduction in the demand will surely be a win for the elephants! Let's hope we see some results.
Yeah, I agree! It will be excited to check back in a year or two and see if the demand has been reduced in China.
Even though it is banned it will probably take a long time before the demand ends. I don't think newly rich Chinese will care much about the ban, but more about the status it gives. Also it is used in eastern medicine, isn't it? The trade moves over to the black market, making it even more expensive, and maybe that gives it even more status?
A shame really...
That's a very pessimistic way to look at it, @driftnerd! You might be correct, but I do hope the ban will at least have some effect on the demand. If anything at least it will give a strong signal that buying ivory is wrong, and over time the status will hopefully diminish.
I guess we will have to wait and see how this affect sales. I'll make sure to do a post about that in a few years from now ;) hehe
The ban will definetly have impact. I just hope it will be enough. Hong Kong has not accepted the ban though, and the Chinese government has no plan as to how to implement it/What sanctions etc. Never the less, a big anti-ivory campaign featuring Chinas superstar Yao Ming hopefully reduces the trade
Ah, I get what you're saying then. I get why you are concerned, and as you point out there are many challenges and problems that needs to be taken care of before a 100 % ban is realistically in place, but the legal ban is still a good step in the right direction in my opinion.
I agree :)
Finally a ray of hope for these engendered mammals....
Asian countries are the biggest black market for such item!
Thanks for stopping by, @xabi! Yeah, China and other Asian countries seem to be the biggest buyers of these types of animal products. A lot of them are used for traditional medicine. But I think it's a good thing that it has finally been banned; it sends a strong signal that it is not okay to buy these.
I am just glad for those poor creatures who were being hunted illegally for some stupid unjustifiable reasons...
We humans are the worst predatory species that could have ever existed!
Yep, we certainly are! I hope the illegal poaching will be reduced as a consequence of this new law.
Yes indeed:)
The black market is probably huge, but this sends out the right signals. Let's hope this makes it a bit more difficult for the snipers and traders.
Yeah, it probably is, but I think it will at least be a bit smaller than the legal market that has been up until now, so it's a good step in the right direction :)
Elephant is very amazing. I like it thanks for share it. Please upvote my post
Yeah, they really are! I'm glad you liked it.
I always upvote comments on my posts that adds value to the post, so if you want upvotes in the future, the you should leave good comments, and I will upvote with $1+. However, please do not beg for upvotes, because I don't want my comment section to be filled up with only begging.
Good news China banned on ivory trade now animal were more safe .I read your post very nice you describe us about ivory its a great achievement
Yeah, this is a very good thing :)
White elephant is very wonderful.But i not saw this
Yeah, it looks very beautiful, but it's not really worth it.
great news. Finally china has made a good decision. it will definitely good for wild life. nice post keep sharing @valth
Yeah, it is really good news :)
Very interesting post I really like it .. Greetings know and friendship my brother. Happy New Year 2018