IS EUROPE REALLY CURBING THE ILLICIT IVORY TRADE? The sale of elephant ivory is illegal, but a recent investigation shows that it is still openly taking place openly across Europe on online platforms with no real enforcement putting a stop to it…
Credit: Jean Wimmerlin, Unsplash
A recent investigation has uncovered that significant quantities of ivory are still traded online within the Europe, raising questions about the effectiveness of regulations aimed at curbing the illegal ivory market. These findings recently became known in a report released by the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW). They commissioned an independent study to assess the scope of online ivory trading on Europe marketplaces and auction sites a year after the European Commission strengthened rules on the domestic trade of ivory. Researchers from MK Wildlife Consultancy monitored 49 online platforms across seven Europen countries over 23 days in May and August 2023. They found 831 advertisements offering 1 330 ivory and suspected ivory items for sale. Elephant ivory made up the vast majority, with 1 019 specimens recorded. Apart from elephant, hippo, walrus, whale, narwhal, and dugong ivory are also sold on the platforms. “With results like this and given the strict exceptions still allowing legal trade in the Europe upon presentation of certificates, it is extremely likely that much of the ivory recorded is illegally advertised for sale online,” said Ilaria Di Silvestre, IFAW’s Head of the European Policy and Campaigns. “The latest European rules on ivory trade represented a crucial step
forward, but our study highlights their loopholes and their weak implementation and monitoring.” The platforms screened included major classified websites and auction houses, but only ones identified in previous studies as hosting ivory items. As a result, the numbers might be higher. Germany had the most advertisements with 215, followed by Italy with 140 and Spain with 112. While 70% of the sellers were within Europe, 41% of all advertisements offered international shipping outside Europe, raising questions over legality since the new rules prohibit commercial ivory imports and re-exports with only narrow exemptions. These cases require scrutiny with certificates or permits issued by relevant authorities. Unfortunately, most of these rules are not legally binding, and individual member states must act on their own to implement them. The most alarming was raw elephant ivory items found for sale, as internal trade and exports of unwrought ivory are banned. Sellers provided verifiable permits or certificates proving legal acquisition before key dates for just 9% of worked ivory specimens and a mere 3% of raw specimens listed in the study. The European Commission adopted the first version of guidelines in 2017 to suspend the re-export of raw ivory. They
then revised this in December 2021, effectively banning most forms of trade in elephant ivory from January 2022. These measures followed commitments made in the European Wildlife Trafficking Action Plan, the European Biodiversity Strategy for 2030. A public consultation that showed 90% of the 90 000 respondents supported an European ban on ivory trade. These rules apply to ivory from both African and Asian elephant populations. The European adopted revised regulations amid growing demands to curb domestic markets fuelling poaching abroad. Key measures prohibit most commercial trade in both raw and worked ivory, with exemptions for verified pre- 1947 antiques and pre-1975 musical instruments.
While a positive step, IFAW wildlife crime expert Eugénie Pimont said the results show that these rules alone may not be enough. “Our research shows significant ivory trafficking continues online in Europe. Stricter mandatory regulations with stronger enforcement could be needed to really address this persistent threat to Africa’s elephants.” Authorities will now face calls to get tougher in implementing the guidance at member state level. IFAW also urges platforms to do more, such as improving detection tools and permanently removing illegal wildlife listings. IFAW warns that until demand is quashed at both ends of the supply chain, elephants will remain at risk of being killed for their tusks to supply illegal markets.
Credit: Garreth, Pexels
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