Australia announces ban on elephant ivory and rhino horn
The Australian delegation at CITES CoP18 in Geneva announced that Australia will implement a ban on elephant ivory and rhino horn. It was such an honour to be present to hear that announcement given the years of work in addressing the rampant, unregulated trade, hosting Australia’s first ivory and rhino horn crush event on World Wildlife Day, March 2018 which triggered the Joint Committee on Law Enforcement’s Parliamentary inquiry to which we gave evidence.
Parliamentary Inquiry Report recommending a full domestic trade ban.
Donalea Patman found ivory for sale on Chapel Street in Melbourne in 2016, astonished to find that it was legal to trade despite the poaching crisis and the decimation of elephants and rhinos for their tusks and horn. Whilst Australia allows any trade within its borders, it is complicit in their demise and it is essential that we join countries who are banning trade.
Ivory found at Chapel Street Bazaar, Melbourne in early 2016 with no evidence this isn’t newly poached ivory.
Whilst we applaud this announcement, Australia has since suffered catastrophic bush fires and now, like the rest of the world, is dealing with Covid-19 which means implementing this ban doesn’t look promising for the immediate future. We implore Australia to not forget its commitment and moves this forward.
