Bernama, by way of the Thai News Agency, is reporting that Thailand’s Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation will start off the New Year by adding some more muscle to its ivory trading policies.
Department deputy-director Theerapat Prayurasiddhi said that officials from his agency will meet with ivory traders throughout the month of January in order to request that the traders register their businesses, declare the sources of their products and abstain from selling to foreigners.
Receipts that traders are supposed to issue to purchasers will help track the validity of ivory sales.
The Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation has seized about 10 tons of ivory to date and has plans to construct an ivory museum that will serve to educate the public on issues related to the ivory trade.
