Mar 21 - Government Publishes Bill To Prevent Trading Of Ivory
Following the publication of a Command Paper several weeks ago, the Government has today published a Bill for an Act to control the sale of ivory.
The Act is intended to prevent ivory from being traded and so prevent it from providing a cover for the commercialisation of the killing of elephants. Elephants are being illegally hunted and there are serious concerns about the likelihood of extinction.
The Command Paper has received praise from some major international organisations including the Zoological Society of London (ZSL) and the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW).
Minister for the Environment John Cortes stated, “I am very pleased to take this legislation to the next stage and am particularly pleased that it has attracted the attention and support of such major international players. The work we are doing in Gibraltar is being noticed and our international profile as a nation with environmental credentials is rising fast.”
Kumara Wakjira, the Chairman of the EPI Implementation Board Director General of Ethiopian Wildlife Conservation Authority, said:
“We commend the clarity and rigour of the proposed ban, noting its application to ivory of all ages and the limited exemptions. It is our hope that, should the proposal be enacted in its entirety, these changes will go far enough to prevent domestic ivory trade being used as a cover for the illegal trade of newer ivory, and the perpetuation of consumer demand for ivory, that continues to threaten elephant populations in Africa with extinction. The EPI will continue to urge all states implicated in and affected by this nefarious trade to follow this example.
“We look forward to working with you to maintain pressure on your neighbours in the European Union to act in tandem and join the UK, China, the United States and others in taking swift action for the protection of elephants.”
A letter from the International Policy, Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS), the Environmental Investigation Agency (EIA), the Tusk Trust, Stop Ivory, the Zoological Society of London (ZSL) and International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) also praised the bill:
“The proposed draft bill - clear, rigorous and with limited exemptions – is a testament to Gibraltar’s commitment to elephant conservation. In supporting the global momentum against a trade in ivory, it would join source, transit and consumer countries in a robust and internationally welcomed response. The proposed bill would also reduce the burden on enforcement agencies in the identification of illegal ivory, known to transit through Europe en route to other consumer countries, empowering them to combat the illegal ivory trade within European borders.”
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