Day: September 20, 2015

Categories
Energy & Environmental Policy Global Policy Studies & International Security LBJ School Philanthropy & Non-Profit Organizations

Conservation in China and the Ivory Trade

Chinese customs officers stand guard in front of confiscated ivory and ivory products at Chinas first public ivory destruction event in Dongguan city, south Chinas Guangdong province, 6 January 2014. China crushed a pile of ivory reportedly weighing over six tonnes on Monday (6 January 2013), in a landmark event aimed at shedding its image as a global hub for the illegal trade in African elephant tusks. Clouds of dust emerged as masked workers fed tusks into crushing machines in what was described as the first ever public destruction of ivory in China. The event in the southern city of Dongguan was the countrys latest effort to discourage illegal ivory trade, protect wildlife and raise public awareness, the official news agency Xinhua said. Experts believe that most illegal ivory is headed to China -- where products made from the material have long been seen as status symbols -- with some estimating the country accounts for as much as 70 percent of global demand. Chinese forestry and customs officials oversaw the destruction, which was shown live by state broadcaster CCTV. It reported that the ivory weighed 6.1 tonnes and had been seized over a period of years. AP891275126596

Third and final in a series by Leo Carter (LBJ MGPS Student) covering his internship at the Wildlife Conservation Society. Tucked into a residential building outside of the Fourth Ring Road in Northeast Beijing, the field office of the Wildlife Conservation Society coordinates operations for all its ongoing conservation projects across China. From law enforcement […]

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