China’s ban on ivory sale will take effect from Sunday, December 31 in a move considered bold in protecting endangered animals.
China is the world’s largest importer and end user of elephant tusks but has decided to ban the sale of the product after several activism of wildlife activists who are now celebrating the action.
Ivory sales and demand has fallen since early 2014 because of a crackdown on corruption and slower economic growth with Wildlife groups estimating that 30,000 elephants are killed by poachers in Africa every year.
“It is the greatest single step toward reducing elephant poaching,” said Peter Knights, chief executive of the group WildAid, according to Reuters.
The ban on all ivory sales has already led to an 80 percent decline in seizures of illegal ivory entering China as well as a 65 percent decline in raw ivory prices, according to conservation group WildAid.
Under the ban, China’s 172 ivory-carving factories and retail outlets will also close.
Source: Africafeeds.com with additional materials from Reuters
