Ivory ban weakens demand, likely to save African elephants

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A recent report on ivory demand in China has revealed that nearly 55 percent of previous ivory buyers have stopped purchasing ivory products, keeping in view the forthcoming ban.

Domestic trade of ivory is likely to be banned by the end of this year.

The report "Demand under the Ban – China Ivory Consumption Research" released by the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) is based on a survey of 15 cities across the country which measured the impact of the forthcoming ban on buyers.

The report claims that nearly 33 percent of the buyers have ceased purchasing ivory in the past three years.

The survey classified cities into three tiers to understand the ivory purchasing habit of customers after the ban was announced.

"Cities in tier one were the most active ivory markets, cities in tier two were moderately active markets, and cities in tier three were the least active markets," the report said.

The researchers were surprised to find that the tendency to buy ivory shifted massively from metropolitan first-tier cities, like Beijing, Guangzhou, Shanghai, and Chengdu to third-tier cities.

The survey also found that active consumers of ivory reside in Shenzhen, Nanning, Chongqing, Nanjing, and Jinan.

Around 19 percent of respondents identify as a "die-hard buyer." The most persistent buyers are more likely females living in third-tier cities with a full-time job and medium-high income.

Confiscated ivory before destruction at Beijing Wildlife Rescue and Rehabilitation Center in Beijing on May 29, 2015. /Xinhua Photo

"The ivory purchase is moving from metropolitan first-tier cities to provincial third-tier cities, due to a growing conversion rate of consumers who have never bought ivory into repeat buyers over the past three years," the researchers said.

Around six in 10 "die-hard buyers" say they are likely to reconsider their purchases after the implementation of the ban.

The announcement of the ivory ban seems to also have an impact. Before hearing of the ban, 43 percent of those surveyed said they intend to purchase ivory in the future. After hearing of the ban, that number dropped to 18 percent.

However, awareness about the forthcoming ban was shallow among ivory buyers. Only 19 percent of the participants recalled the ban. After being prompted about it, barely 46 percent of them remembered having heard of the pending ban.

Researchers in the report highlighted that artistic value, uniqueness, cultural heritage and gifting are the primary drivers behind the purchase of ivory-related products.

China ivory ban likely to reduce poaching of African elephants

In 2015 Chinese President Xi Jinping and the then US President Barack Obama jointly made a historic announcement that the two countries would entirely ban ivory trade in their domestic markets.

Ivory artifacts displayed at Central Park in New York before being destroyed on August 3, 2017./Xinhua Photo

In China, ivory demand originates from status and products like chopsticks and intricately designed jewelry have been part of the culture. Meanwhile in the US, the ivory trade is prominently dominated by trophies from legal sport hunting.

According to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), more than 30,000 elephants are killed by poachers each year for their tusks. To curb poaching, CITES banned international trade in ivory in 1990.

But many places, like the Chinese mainland, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region and the US, have allowed domestic sales of ivory.

"China’s complete ban on ivory trade will reduce poaching of elephants. We hope other countries implement similar bans to end ivory trade in the domestic market," WWF maintained.