May announces UK-China joint action against ivory trade

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UK Prime Minister Theresa May on Thursday announced a joint UK-China effort to toughen international action against illegal wildlife trading.

The announcement comes ahead of the Illegal Wildlife Trade Conference in London in October. Last year, the UK’s environment department started a public consultation to enforce a ban on ivory trade.

“I am proud of the agreement that the UK and China have made to boost our cooperation in the fight against the illegal ivory trade,” May said during her three-day visit to China.

Animal rights groups have been accusing the UK of boosting international trade of illegal ivory. The country has one of the world’s largest domestic markets in ivory, a large part of which was imported during the colonial era as trophies and tusk pieces.

From 2010 to 2015, Britain was the largest exporter of antique ivory, according to the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), and it allows domestic trade of ivory carved before 1990.

The Chinese mainland banned ivory trade last month, and Hong Kong’s Legislative Council also voted to ban the business on Wednesday.

Read More: Hong Kong bans ivory trade

May said, “My visit to China is about our two countries working together on some of the most significant challenges of our time.

"And during my visit, I have seen first-hand the way UK expertise is supporting Chinese efforts to protect wildlife and improve the quality of life of its citizens."

During her campaign for the ivory ban, Hong Kong lawmaker Elizabeth Quat sent a letter to the UK government urging it to implement a ban on domestic and international trade in ivory to save elephants.

Protestors demonstrate against the ivory trade outside the Houses of Parliament in London on February 6, 2017. /VCG Photo

"Your commitment to enact a strong and comprehensive ban will ensure that the UK is a world conservation leader," Quat stated in the letter addressed to Michael Gove, the country's environment secretary.

It was Gove, under pressure from animal rights groups, who invited public consultation to enforce the ban. The exercise brought more than 70,000 responses from citizens.

According to wildlife activists, poachers kill more than 30,000 African elephants every year for ivory.

"The ivory trade is notoriously riddled with crime and corruption. Only a total ban on all ivory trade – both in the EU and Hong Kong – can help mitigate the African elephant poaching crisis," Alex Hofford, a Hong Kong-based WildAid campaigner, told CGTN.

Ahead of the London 2018 Illegal Wildlife Trade Conference, China and the UK will pledge to share expertise in this area with countries in the southern African region.

"Border Force officers will share their expertise in identifying smuggled ivory with counterparts worldwide to stop wildlife trafficking,” the UK government said in a press release.