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.
