Ivory sales after the 1990 ban

1997: Agreed by the 10th CITES Conference, Zimbabwe, Botswana and Namibia are allowed to make a one-off export of 50 tons of stockpiled ivory to Japan in 1998

2008: Allowed by CITES, Botswana, Namibia, South Africa and Zimbabwe make another one-off export of 108 tons of ivory to Japan and China

Meng Xianlin, Deputy Director General of the Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora Import and Export management office answers specific ivory related questions:

Do you think elephant protection can only be achieved by restricting ivory exports? Are there other measures?

The ivory trade is only one of the factors involved in elephant protection. Other factors include the shrinking of elephant habitats, which is a more important factor, environmental changes and human activities.

Viewed from the assessment reports of ETIS, we cannot see the direct link between the increase in ivory trade and the reduction of the elephant population. On the contrary, if some countries, especially in Southern Africa, that have achieved progress in elephant protection in recent years, are allowed to legally export their stockpiled ivory, they can get more protection funds to better protect elephants through increasing elephant habitats, improving their living environment and strengthening law-enforcement efforts.

In recent years, some countries in Southern Africa have achieved great progress in elephant protection, thanks to their effective measures, and the elephant population keeps increasing in these countries. They have large amounts of ivory stockpiles from legal sources, such as those from elephants who died naturally or elephants culled to control over population. These countries have to spend money to protect these stockpiles. I think this amount of ivory should be better utilized in fields such as scientific research and education, instead of just lying in a stockpile. Meanwhile, China and Japan also practice the art of ivory carving and need ivory to improve their craft. More importantly, allowing legal ivory international trade can also restrain ivory smuggle.

Will the ban on international ivory trade influence China's ivory carving art?

China has a long history and high-level of technology in ivory carving, dating back more than 1,800 years. Ivory carving technology is the important component of this part of Chinese culture and even the world. In 1973, China donated an ivory sculpture Construction of Chengdu-Kunming Railway to the United Nations, which still stands in the exhibition hall of the UN Headquarters in New York.

Before ivory trade was banned, China's ivory carving industry employed over 2,000 people in more than 10 big state-owned factories.

After the ban, China's ivory processing industry receded gradually because of the lack of tusks. With its 240 tons of ivory stockpiles in 1990, when the ban was implemented, China could continue to develop its ivory carving technology. In the early 2000s, China had only two state-owned ivory processing factories, the Beijing Ivory Carving Factory and the Guangzhou Daxin Ivory Carving Factory, along with some small private operations. Most of these factories are now engaged mainly in bone and jade carving. They also process small amounts of ivory, using the country's stockpiled ivory and ivory imported legally in November 2008 from South Africa, Botswana, Zimbabwe and Namibia.

I don't think there is a contradiction between the development of ivory carving art and elephant protection. China strictly follows CITES regulations. The ivory carving factories are under strict supervision and only ivory from legal sources can be used. All the ivory seized by customs officials is sealed up and cannot be used.