Hong Kong follows China in banning ivory sales in landmark ruling
On Wednesday, Hong Kong voted to ban ivory sales in a landmark move to end the infamous trade in the city. Lawmakers overwhelmingly voted for the bill that will abolish the trade by 2021, following on the heels of China’s complete ban on ivory sales that went into effect at the end of last year. "Shutting down this massive ivory market has thrown a lifeline to elephants," said Bert Wander of global advocacy group Avaaz in a statement. "Today is a great day for elephants. Hong Kong has always been the ‘heart of darkness’ of the ivory trade with a 670 tonne stockpile when international trade was banned in 1989," said Alex Hofford of WildAid Hong Kong. The amendment to the Protection of Endangered Species of Animals and Plants ordinance will phase out the trade in three stages, a time period some conservationists say could be exploited as a loophole and too late for African elephants which continue to be killed in huge numbers. The steps include a ban on trade in hunting trophies and i...
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