Hong Kong incinerates ivory

Authorities in Hong Kong yesterday began destroying nearly 30 tons of ivory seized from smugglers in the world's largest such operation, a major step in the fight against the illegal trade in elephant tusks.

A security guard in Hong Kong watches over a massive haul of ivory tusks and products yesterday during an operation to incinerate the confiscated items. Authorities have embarked on a process to burn almost 30 tons of ivory, which could take a year or more to complete.[Photo/Shanghai Daily via Reuters]

The move to incinerate a stockpile seized since 2003 comes after intense pressure from conservation groups.

"Today's ceremony sends a loud and clear message to both the local and the international community that the Hong Kong government is determined to curb the illegal trade in elephant ivory," environment secretary Wong Kam-sing said.

"We hope curbing illegal trade in ivory will help stop the illegal poaching of elephants," Wong said at a treatment plant in the city's Tsing Yi district, where the first of the tusks were destroyed.

The global trade in ivory has been banned since 1989 under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora. But millions of dollars worth of tusks are smuggled out of Africa each year, fueled by demand in China and other Asian countries where statues, trinkets and other items made from ivory are seen as status symbols.

Ivory tusks and products were displayed at yesterday's ceremony where officials wearing overalls, face masks and helmets carried containers filled with tusks to the incinerator. Authorities plan to destroy 28 tons of ivory over the course of a year.

Hong Kong has long been a hub for the illegal trade, with tusk seizures rising steadily since 2009, reaching a record of 8,041 kilograms last year.

"Hong Kong holds one of the largest stockpiles of seized ivory in the world," CITES secretary-general John Scanlon said.

The destruction "sends a powerful message that Hong Kong does not accept, and will not tolerate this illegal trade", he said.

City authorities have seized more than 33 tons of ivory since 2003, most of which had been smuggled from Africa by sea.

About 400kg has been donated to schools for educational purposes, and some has already been incinerated in test runs.

Environmental groups welcomed the move as a major step in the battle against poaching.

The African Wildlife Foundation said the operation was "a moral, and necessary, step in halting the ongoing slaughter of Africa's elephants."

Hong Kong's move follows similar operations in China's mainland and France.

About 22,000 African elephants were killed in 2012, said the International Union for Conservation of Nature, which warned of local extinctions if the killing continues.