As delegates from 183 nations and territories gather for the United Nations Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) conference, conservationists are tentatively heralding a “new hope” due to decreased demand in the illegal wildlife trade.
In Hong Kong – the largest retail market for ivory in the world – the price of ivory has dropped a staggering 69 percent since 2014, according to conservation group WildAid. The group credited Chief Executive CY Leung’s five-year-plan to phase out the ivory trade, announced earlier this year, for the decline.
In another win for elephants, a proposal to re-legitimise ivory sales was rejected at CITES earlier today, BBC reports.
WildAid CEO Peter Knights said, “People who saw […] ivory as an investment are deservedly getting burned as mass awareness campaigns supported by government and private media are clearly having an impact. There is light at the end of the tunnel.”
In other good news, shark fin sales in mainland China has fallen by 81 percent between 2010 and 2014, according to a recent publication from the China Seafood Logistic and Processing Association. As a result, a representative of the Hong Kong shark fin trade said no one from his association would attend this year’s CITES since industry morale was “very low”. Aw, diddums.
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