Ivory ban loophole means elephant body parts can still be traded in UK

[Still Waters]

Elephant skins, feet, ears and tails will continue to be traded in the UK even after next month’s ivory ban comes into force, it has been revealed.

The government has been praised for its Ivory Act 2018, effective from next month, making the purchase and sale of elephant tusks punishable by fines of up to £250,000 or up to five years in prison.

However, a loophole will allow trade in other elephant body parts to continue.

According to official data, the UK imported 325 non-ivory elephant parts over the past 10 years, including 173 skins, 84 feet, 47 ears and 21 tails.

Over three-quarters of the elephant parts imported were hunting trophies, with Botswana, South Africa and Zimbabwe being the most common countries of origin.

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2022/may/27/ivory-ban-loophole-means-elephant-body-parts-can-still-be-traded-in-uk

[Still Waters]

Elephant tusk ivory sold on eBay a decade after self-imposed ban

Sellers are flouting eBay's self-imposed ban on the sale of elephant ivory by listing it under pseudonyms.

An investigation by the BBC and legal experts found ivory objects were often listed as "bovine bone".

We bought three such items on eBay UK and tested them in an independent lab. Two were confirmed to be made of ivory.

An analysis by ivory trade experts also indicated that thousands of elephant ivory objects have been sold on the site since the company banned its sale.

The investigation was started in 2018 by Dr Caroline Cox at the University of Portsmouth. She and other ivory trade experts say online trade is continuing despite a new UK-wide ban on the sale of ivory, which came into force on 6 June.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-61735044