Authorities to destroy huge ivory stockpile HONG KONG: A 30-tonne stockpile of seized elephant ivory in Hong Kong, one of the largest in the world, is to be destroyed following similar moves in the US and China. AFP Hong Kong customs officials late last year with seized tusks Hong Kong acts as a major transit point for elephant ivory, much of which is intended for sale in mainland China, where the substance is prized as a status symbol and rising incomes have spurred demand. According to data from the International Fund for Animal Welfare, the price of ivory in China was 15,000 yuan a kilogram in 2011, more than triple its price in 2006. Between 2003 and 2013, government officials say, Hong Kong seized 33 tonnes of ivory originating in countries from Kenya to Nigeria, some of which has been donated to schools for educational purposes. The rest will be destroyed in the coming one to two years, the government said, starting within the next two months. The government cited the ‘‘management burden and the security risk generated by prolonged storage’’ as its motivation to destroy the stockpile, which activists say is among the largest in the world. The rising appetite for ivory has had a pronounced impact on elephant populations. An estimated 22,000 elephants were illegally killed in Africa in 2012, according to data from the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora. If such poaching rates continue, conservation groups estimate, the continent is likely to lose a fifth of its elephants in the coming decade. ‘‘The poaching is getting out of control,’’ said Alex Hoffard of lobby group Hong Kong for Elephants, which presented a collection of 65,000 signatures to Hong Kong’s government on Wednesday urging the city to destroy its stockpile. Last November, the US pulverised its stock of six tonnes of contraband ivory, something that activists had long advocated as a way to send a message rejecting the ivory trade. Earlier this month, China followed suit for the first time, destroying more than six tonnes of smuggled ivory, ranging from statuettes to whole tusks. In June, The Philippines government crushed more than five tonnes of ivory. Though the Hong Kong government had no plans to sell the ivory, conservationists said that stockpiling it was sending the wrong message. ‘‘We need to get the message to the public that buying ivory is nothing to be proud of, it’s something to be ashamed of,’’ said Chris Shepherd, regional director for TRAFFIC Southeast Asia. Conservationists advocate for stockpile destruction in part because they fear the ivory may be stolen and resold, but they also say such destruction carries powerful symbolism. A step like this by Hong Kong ‘‘is tremendous. It’s a very strong statement against the trade,’’ said Mr Shepherd.
Posted on: Sun, 26 Jan 2014 01:08:58 +0000
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