Endangered Species

The long-awaited government consultation on the trade in ivory in the UK is to be launched.

Two New York antiques dealers, owners of an upmarket Manhattan antiques shop, yesterday pleaded guilty to selling modern ivory objects and uncarved elephant tusks worth more than $4.5m.

Michael Gove MP gave his first speech as environment minister today and has vowed to tackle the illegal ivory trade. However, he made no reference to a total ban on ivory.

Hong Kong’s bill to ban the domestic ivory trade does allow for the trade in antiques containing ivory, it has emerged.

An action group that campaigns for the protection of elephants staged a protest against the trade in antique ivory outside Art & Antiques Fair Olympia, on Saturday afternoon (July 1).

The organisers of the Olympia fair, which starts today (Monday 26 June), have reiterated their support for efforts to stop the illegal trade in poached ivory as the event faces a protest by elephant campaigners on Saturday, 1 July.

An action group that campaigns against modern ivory poaching is to stage a protest against the trade in antique ivory at the Art and Antiques Fair, Olympia, on 1 July.

Michael Gove MP has said he would reconsider introducing a pledge for a total ivory ban.

Art and antiques trade associations are preparing to “forge new relationships” with the incoming government, in particular relating to the trade of antiques containing ivory.

The Conservative's 2017 manifesto launched this morning was dominated by Brexit, social care, education and cyber security but was without the party's intentions on controlling the UK ivory trade. This is in contrast to the 2015 version, which pledged an outright ban on trade in ivory.

The Labour Party Manifesto 2017 has called for a total ban on the trade of ivory.

The UK government is under pressure to scale down its approach on issues relating to the trade in illegal wildlife and climate change, a leaked document has revealed.