HK’s dilemma over what to do with ivory
Print Edition
When Hong Kong intercepted yet another huge shipment of illegal African ivory in early October, it added to a growing headache for authorities: What exactly do you do with one of the world’s biggest stockpiles of elephant tusks?
Government warehouses in Hong Kong are holding more than 30 tons of ivory seized since 2008, as customs agents intercept a surging amount of endangered animal products being smuggled to the Chinese mainland to meet demand from the newly wealthy.
The latest shipment, 189 tusks worth US$1.5 million hidden in soybean sacks in a shipping container, was one of four major busts this year.
Ivory is known as “white gold” because of the rich prices it commands on the black market. Hong Kong has put values of between US$1,000 and US$2,000 a kilogram on ivory it seized this year. A 2011 report by the International Fund for Animal Welfare said buyers in China were paying up to US$2,400 a kilogram.
Conservation groups urge the government to destroy it. Authorities are resisting, instead preferring to dole out small amounts to schools to raise conservation awareness.
“As long as that ivory is kept, it will always be a temptation for people to get their hands on it,” said Grace Ge Gabriel, the fund’s regional director.
IFAW and 15 other animal welfare and conservation groups wrote to Hong Kong’s leader and customs commissioner after the October seizure, urging them to follow the example of countries and regions that destroy confiscated ivory.
IFAW estimates 35,000 elephants a year are killed by poachers for ivory, risking their extinction in the wild.
Members of a committee advising the government on endangered species oppose the destruction. In minutes of a meeting last year, they worried it would be seen as wasteful and believed the best option was to donate small amounts to schools. The government says it’s “exploring destruction.”
“Education plays a vital role for the seized ivory. Usually, we send the ivory to schools for showcasing and educational events,” said Azaria Wong, a conservation department officer. “We hope the children can feel the importance of preserving endangered species.”
Schoolgirl Lucy Skrine, 11, disagrees. She and a friend have started an online petition calling for the government to destroy the stockpile.
She said friends at another school that received ivory report that “students are just passing by and admiring the ivory.”
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