Ebbing away: Hong Kong's ivory trade
As Hong Kong moves towards the final step of a landmark ivory ban, TRAFFIC has released a report that acknowledges progress, but urges tighter regulation on privately owned ivory stocks, antique ivory and licensing to prevent these products from entering illicit markets. According to TRAFFIC’s ‘Ebbing Away’ report released ahead of World Elephant Day, at least 39,000 ivory items were still in circulation within Hong Kong in 2019. Commercial ivory stocks registered with the government in Hong Kong have declined to a total weight of approximately 51 tonnes (calculated at the end of 2020) according to government records released in 2021.
