Beijing, Jan 24 (PTI) China has seen a significant decline in ivory smuggling, acting on calls to save the African elephants whose population is on a sharp decline.
The total volume of seized ivory products plunged to 68 kg last year from 9.2 tonnes in 2019, Ni Yuefeng, head of the General Administration of Customs (GAC) said Monday.
China, which was previously the biggest consumer of ivory products endangering the African elephants, banned the processing and sale of ivory in 2017.
The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) listed the African forest elephant (Loxodonta cyclotis) as ‘critically endangered’ and the African savanna elephant (Loxodonta africana) as ‘endangered’ in 2021.
China’s ban was described as a game-changer in elephant protection and conservation by global animal and environment protection organisations.
The World Wildlife Fund (WWF) described China’s ban on ivory imports as a monumental step in saving the elephants from the wrath of the poachers.
An estimated 20,000 elephants were slaughtered every year previously for their ivory.
In 2021, the Chinese customs investigated 4,259 criminal cases of smuggling, 23,294 cases involving smuggling practice, and 52,542 cases of irregularities and other violations.
Ni said the customs authorities have prioritised the fight against the smuggling of solid wastes from overseas, endangered species and their products, frozen commodities, refined oil products and narcotics.
China has also seen a sharp decline in the illegal import of wastes, as attested by the United Nations awarding the country the Asia Environment Enforcement Award for the fourth time in 2021, Ni said.
Last year, Chinese customs seized 42,000 tonnes of smuggled foreign wastes, down 97.4 per cent from the previous year, according to the GAC, state-run Xinhua news agency reported.
Once the world’s biggest recipient of overseas trash, starting in 2021, China banned imports of all solid wastes, the pinnacle of efforts to phase out the practice as the country shifts toward a greener model. PTI KJV IND AKJ IND
