Ivory ban to extend to hippos and killer whales

The merchantability of ivory from the tusks and teeth of 5 much taxon volition beryllium banned nether authorities plans.

The import, export and dealing of elephant ivory was banned successful the UK past year. The animals that could articulation the database are slayer whales, hippos, walruses, narwhals, and sperm whales.

The creatures are hunted and killed for their ivory which is often utilized successful decorative carvings.

The authorities plans to widen the Ivory Act 2018 to see them.

People recovered to beryllium breaking the instrumentality tin beryllium fixed unlimited fines oregon beryllium jailed for 5 years.

Parliament indispensable ballot connected the hold of the Act earlier it tin travel into force.

The taxon acceptable to beryllium included successful the prohibition are already astatine hazard from clime alteration and situation loss, and conservationists are acrophobic that poaching for ivory volition thrust them person to extinction.

"The Ivory Act is 1 of the toughest bans of its benignant successful the satellite and by extending greater ineligible protections to 5 much species, we are sending a wide connection the commercialized commercial of ivory is wholly unacceptable," said Biodiversity Minister Trudy Harrison.

Hippos, slayer whales and sperm whales are targeted for their teeth, portion narwhals and walruses are hunted for their tusks.

An probe successful 2022 by conservation foundation Born Free recovered 621 idiosyncratic online ivory listings successful the UK, with a full usher terms of implicit £1.2m.

This was a important alteration successful the measurement traded earlier restrictions were introduced, the foundation said.

But past twelvemonth wildlife campaigners besides warned that the prohibition connected elephant ivory trafficking had led to an summation successful commercialized of hippo teeth.

In 2020 hippo teeth were among the mammal assemblage parts astir often seized successful the EU, according to a European Commission report.

The International Fund for Animal Welfare welcomed the government's proposal.

"We invited the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs's determination to widen this almighty legislation, which volition spell a agelong mode successful cracking down connected a damaging trade. Today is simply a bully time for conservation and a measurement alteration towards planetary commitments to safeguard our earthy world," said Frances Goodrum, Head of Campaigns and Programmes astatine IFAW UK.

The 5 taxon are listed successful the Convention connected International Trade successful Endangered Species of Fauna and Flora (CITES), which regulates their commercialized internationally.

Hippopotamus, walrus and sperm whale are listed arsenic susceptible connected the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) reddish list.