Wildlife Crime Prevention - Europe
The European Union is widely considered to be the third largest destination for illegal wildlifeeBay backs EU ivory ban
eBay backs EU ivory ban
July 13, 2017
Seized ivory tusks at the Hong Kong Customs and Excise headquarters in Hong Kong, China, 08 August 2013. © IFAW/Alex Hofford
This week eBay spoke up for the plight of elephants by encouraging the European Union to adopt a complete ban of all ivory markets. eBay was one of the first online marketplaces to ban ivory sales, introducing a worldwide ban across their platforms in January 2009.
Elephants are being illegally killed in the tens of thousands every year to supply a demand for ivory, and yet in spite of this, it is still possible to buy some forms of ivory legally within the European Union. It is difficult and time consuming for both online companies and law enforcement entities to distinguish legal from illegal ivory and therefore only a complete ivory ban will eradicate the illegal ivory trade.
eBay welcomed the Commission’s recent efforts to clamp down on illegal ivory trade by banning the re-export of ivory from the European Union. Sadly, there is still the very real risk that the legal trade in ivory could provide cover for the sale of recently poached ivory.
IFAW has been working with eBay and many of the world’s leading online marketplaces to ensure that the corporate sector takes the strongest possible measures to protect elephants by closing down digital ivory markets. IFAW welcomes eBay’s support for a complete EU ivory ban. As long as elephants are being killed for their ivory tusks, both international and domestic ivory markets must be closed down.
Tania McCrea-Steele
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