The ban will be implemented in steps, with all domestic sales prohibited from 2021 onwards, officials say.
Hong Kong politicians decided on Wednesday to ban the sale of ivory, a move that is seen as an important step to protect elephants.
The ban will be implemented in steps, with all sales prohibited from 2021 onwards.
„We’re thrilled that Hong Kong, another major ivory market, will close its doors to legal ivory trade by 2021, joining China in showing great commitment in safeguarding a future for elephants,“ Margaret Kinnaird, leader of World Wildlife Fund (WWF) Wildlife Practice said in a statement.
„However, to ensure these legislative bans are not undermined, it’ll be critical for China and Hong Kong to boost enforcement and awareness efforts as well as tackle the rife black market,“ she added.
The decision comes after a similar ban on domestic sales went into effect in China on 1 January 2018.
International ivory sales were banned from 1989 onward, when the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) took effect.
