Hong Kong Ivory Trade Ban Moves Forward but Lawmakers Find Five Years Too Long

The Hong Kong ivory ban should take effect by 2021, says the proposal on phasing out the elephant ivory trade in China's Special Administrative region, but lawmakers deem that a five-year wait is too long.

"We are not persuaded," said Elizabeth Quat of the Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong, as quoted by the South China Morning Post. "If the trade is not active anymore, why is there a need for another five years?"

In its "Proposed Plan for Phasing out the Local Trade in Elephant Ivory," the Legislative Council Panel on Environmental Affairs deems that five years is sufficient for those engaged in the trade to clear their existing stocks or to shift to another businesses.

"There must be enough time for traders to get rid of their stocks," Elvis Au Wai-kwong, assistant director for environmental protection, was quoted as saying. "We need to be fair and just."

The proposal suggests amending the Protection of Endangered Species of Animals and Plants Ordinance (CAP 586), emphasizing that this be done "in a single legislative exercise." The amendment would put into effect a three-step plan to phase out the local trade in ivory as well as impose more severe penalties, including increased maximum fines and imprisonment for those who either commercially or non-commercially engage in the trade.

"The Chief Executive (CE) announced in the 2016 Policy Address that the Government would kick start legislative procedures as soon as possible to ban the import and export of elephant hunting trophies and actively explore other appropriate measures, such as enact legislation to further ban the import and export of ivory and phase out the local ivory trade, and impose heavier penalties on smuggling and illegal trading of endangered species," the proposal reads in part.

Civic Party's Dr. Kenneth Chan Ka-lok, however, asked what would happen to the stocks that remain unsold after the deadline, raising the question of those items ending up in the black market. This is because Hong Kong protects private property under its Basic Law, thus the items cannot be confiscated.

Meanwhile, Gavin Edwards, conservation director WWF-Hong Kong, wants the region to ban the trade "starting today," saying that 30,000 African elephants fall victim to illegal poachers annually.