Ivory price drop in China will help save elephants in Africa

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Ivory price drop in China will help save elephants in Africa

9:31 CAT | 29 Mar 2017

The price of ivory in China has dropped by almost two thirds in the last three years, as the Chinese government plans to ban the legal trade of ivory, conservation group Save The Elephants says.

Ivory processing factories in China are to be shut down by Friday, followed by the closing of retail outlets by the end of this year.

Conservationists say the end of the legal ivory trade distinctly improves the survival chances for elephants.

A strong commitment from the Chinese government to close down the trade and crack down on corruption, coupled with an economic slowdown resulting in fewer purchases of luxury goods, have contributed to the price drop.

Lucy Vigne, the lead researcher behind these latest findings, says the fall in prices will have a significant effect on the larger players in the illegal ivory trade.

She told the BBC:

“These people will begin to think what’s the point of working in ivory as a commodity in illegal trade if the price is going to continue to fall, and if the hassle of law enforcement is going to be greater than the benefit.”

Source: BBC