In positive news from the UK, the court of appeal has upheld the Ivory Act and rejected a strong legal challenge by representatives from the auctions and antiques industries.Â
The UK’s ivory laws, which can now be ushered through Parliament, are some of the most stringent on earth, affording further protection to elephants in the wild. The EU must now follow suit, as must Japan, which remains a major consumer of raw ivory and continues to undermine conservation efforts in the wild.
The legal trade in ivory often acts as a cover for the illegal trade, with the origin and antiquity of ivory difficult to establish, and many auction houses and antiques dealers willing to sell ivory without having established its provenance. This ugly trade, which has perpetuated the slaughter of elephants in the wild has now been closed, with conservation being put before the profiteering of unscrupulous traders.
National Park Rescue are working tirelessly both in the field to stop the flow of ivory at its source, and behind the scenes lobbying the UK government to put conservation at the heart of its global policy making.Â
