Hong Kong ivory trade faces uncertain future as bans loom
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Wong Lai-ngan hunches over a battered workbench, his electric rotary tool whining as he carves two phoenixes facing each other into a smooth white tusk.
Decades ago, Wong’s canvas would have been elephant ivory. But since a 1990 ban on international trading, Hong Kong’s dwindling tribe of ivory carvers has switched to tusks of extinct woolly mammoths.
The decline of the city’s once-flourishing ivory business is set to speed up after the Hong Kong and mainland Chinese governments announced in December plans to restrict local ivory trading. Wildlife activists hailed the news, saying domestic markets must be phased out to reduce the demand for tusks driving an epidemic of poaching that is decimating Africa’s elephants.
It also signals the end for Hong Kong’s ivory craftsmen and traders.
Questions & Answers
Q.What kind of tusks are Hong Kong's ivory carvers using now?
What kind of tusks are Hong Kong's ivory carvers using now?
Since the 1990 ban on international trading, ivory carvers in Hong Kong have switched to using tusks from extinct woolly mammoths. This change was necessary as elephant ivory became unavailable for their craft.
Q.What is the future outlook for Hong Kong's local ivory trade?
What is the future outlook for Hong Kong's local ivory trade?
The local ivory trade in Hong Kong faces an uncertain future. Both the Hong Kong and mainland Chinese governments announced plans in December to restrict local ivory trading, which is expected to speed up its decline and ultimately end the business.
Q.Why are wildlife activists supporting the plans to restrict local ivory trading?
Why are wildlife activists supporting the plans to restrict local ivory trading?
Wildlife activists welcomed the news because they believe domestic markets need to be phased out. They argue this will reduce demand for tusks, which is currently driving the severe poaching epidemic decimating Africa’s elephant populations.