Japan must do more to curb illegal ivory trade, conservationist group says
China announced last year that it would shut down its ivory trade by the end of 2017, while Hong Kong, the world’s largest retail ivory market, plans to end local trading by 2021
Japan’s lax controls over its domestic stock of ivory are encouraging illegal exports to other countries and undermining efforts to end trafficking in elephant tusks, a report said on Wednesday.
The report, compiled with support by the World Wildlife Fund, the conservation group, said researchers found antique dealers are buying a large number of elephant tusks in Japan that are not registered as required by law.
It said hundreds of ivory items are sold each year by e-commerce sites, often to visitors from other Asian countries such as China.
The report said whole tusks were being advertised without needed proof of their provenance.
“Japan’s domestic ivory market availability is targeted for procuring products from the antiques and tourist markets for illegal ivory exports, as well as through physical and online auctions,” the report said.
It said some dealings were akin to criminal syndicates facilitating the smuggling of ivory into China, based on investigations into seizures of such items.
Japan’s domestic ivory market availability is targeted for procuring products from the antiques and tourist markets
