Elephant ivory prices triple in Chinese workshops

The price of elephant ivory for workshop owners in China, the world's biggest market, has tripled over the last four years even though sale prices in Africa are low, according to a new study by ivory researchers.

Factories and retail outlets in Beijing and Shanghai are snapping up tusks at inflated prices, which have risen nearly 300 per cent in four years.

Ivory experts Esmond Martin and Lucy Vigne discovered the high price sought for ivory after touring hundreds of Chinese retail outlets and factories. Their findings in May this year contrasted with a 2010 report they published which found prices in Fuzhou in Fujian province were three times cheaper.

"The average price paid by craftsmen or factory owners for good quality, privately owned 1kg to 4kg elephant tusks in Beijing in early 2014 was US$2,100 [HK$16,275] per kilogram. The average price for similar tusks in 2010 was US$750," said Martin.

Factories and retailers can generate higher prices for ivory products once they are carved, further inflating the price.

Google Glass and drones leading the fight against poaching in Nepal

Conservation critics argue that demand for ivory is increasing as supply drops because various countries are burning their ivory stocks. The group, Save the Elephants, also finds that the disparity in prices in Africa and Asia is distorting demand.