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Posted: 23rd May 2023

Government extends Ivory Act to protect more species
Ivory from walrus tusks will be included in the ban.
Hippopotamus and walrus among species to be protected.

The UK Government has announced that it plans to extend the Ivory Act to protect hippopotamuses, walruses, narwhales, killer whales and sperm whales.

Importing, exporting, or dealing in items containing ivory from these species will be made illegal, except for a narrowly defined group of exempt items.

The original Ivory Act, which was passed in 2018 and came into effect from 6 June 2022, introduced a near-total ban on trading ivory from elephants. Those who break the law face an unlimited fine or up to five years in jail.

Following the ban on elephant ivory, conservation groups including Born Free expressed their concern that ivory from hippopotamus teeth would be used as a substitute, putting the species at greater risk of poaching.

The other species included in the new ban are threatened by climate change and the Government fears that the ivory trade may make their long-term survival less likely.

The law allows certain items containing ivory to be exempted from the ban, including pre-1918 items of outstanding artistic, cultural, or historical value and importance. Since the ban came into effect, there have been 6,500 registrations and certificates issued for exempted items.

Biodiversity minister Trudy Harrison said: “This is a pivotal moment in delivering one of our key manifesto commitments on international conservation.
 
“The Ivory Act is one of the toughest bans of its kind in the world and by extending greater legal protections to five more species, we are sending a clear message the commercial trade of ivory is totally unacceptable.
 
“The UK has long led the way in conservation and our ban shows continued global leadership in doing all we can to protect the world’s most endangered species.”

Steve Backshall, naturalist and television presenter, has welcomed the extension of the ban. He said: “This is an important moment in the conservation of these iconic species.

“There is widespread public support for the ivory ban and today by extending it further we are sending a clear message that there is no place in the UK for this vile trade.”



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