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Britain to introduce tough laws to help end illegal elephant poaching, ivory trafficking

Xinhua, September 22, 2016 Adjust font size:

Britain's Environment Secretary Andrea Leadsom Wednesday announced what will be one of the world's toughest bans on sales of modern day ivory.

The ban comes as the British government prepares to back urgent global action to end elephant poaching, which, says the Department for Environment, Farming and Rural Affairs (Defra) has reached crisis levels in recent years.

In a statement issued in London Defra said new action to tackle the illicit trade will be discussed at the upcoming conference of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) in South Africa.

"Global demand for ivory has seen almost 150,000 elephants lost to poaching in under a decade, leaving numbers down by almost a third," said Defra's statement.

Leadsom said: "The UK has a strong record as a global leader in the fight against the illegal wildlife trade and I'm determined to do all we can to bring an end to poaching and ivory trafficking."

"This ban will send the message that the ivory trade is a thing of the past. I hope it increases pressure on other nations to implement bans and save our elephants before they disappear," Leadsom added.

Leadsom's announcement comes ahead of the start on Sept. 24 of the 17th meeting of the CITES conference in Johannesburg.

Environment Minister Therese Coffey, who will attend the conference, said: "Working with other governments, I want to see strong outcomes from this conference to protect our precious global wildlife, including elephants, lions and rhinos."

A spokesman for Defra said: "The government will consult on plans for the ban early next year, seeking views from conservationists, traders and other relevant parties to ensure clear rules and guidance for those operating within the law, while cracking down on illegal sales."

The ban will cover the sale of items containing ivory dated between 1947 and the present day. Trade in "worked" items, such as works of art and ornaments dating from before 1947 (deemed "antiques") will continue to be permitted.

Britain already has a total ban on trade in raw tusks, or "unworked" ivory, of any age. Endit