China made a New Year鈥檚 resolution that caused elephant lovers around the world to rejoice: the government announced it will shut down its domestic ivory market this year.
Poaching experts estimate that up to . It is turned into statues and ivory trinkets, which are either sold as status symbols to its growing middle class or exported.
The news is a game changer, says elephant behaviour expert Joyce Poole. Poole鈥檚 finding that poaching destroys not just individual elephants but their family and social structure was instrumental in the decision of the global wildlife authority CITES to . Sadly, that ban flopped, due in large part to China鈥檚 failure to comply, or even admit culpability. During a trip to Beijing in 2013, senior government officials told Poole that China had no role in the poaching crisis.
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Since then, however, China has changed its tune. Under increasing pressure from a world incensed by the and talk of possible extinction, China鈥檚 leader Xi Jinping . In a joint statement, president Barack Obama promised to do the same in the US. But until last week, China 鈥� unlike the US 鈥� hadn鈥檛 committed to a concrete plan and timetable to accomplish this.
Sceptics (me included) wondered if China鈥檚 vague promises were a delaying tactic to buy time for the lucrative trade. I was wrong. The proposed speed of the shutdown 鈥� by the end of this year 鈥� is dizzying. And there can be little doubt that the authoritarian regime will largely succeed in enforcing its edict. This won鈥檛 end the ivory trade, but it will deal it a serious blow. China鈥檚 action will also surely put pressure on other ivory trading nations, such as Vietnam and Thailand, to shut up shop too.
Falling prices
Global ivory prices have been falling for over a year, since it became clear that the world鈥檚 tolerance was running out. China was growing weary of being a global pariah, seen as killing off one of the world鈥檚 most beloved species.
This is part of an encouraging pattern. China would clearly like to be viewed as a moral leader on the environment, especially now that US president-elect Donald Trump appears poised to throw in the US towel on critical issues like climate change. But before we grant China the Nobel Peace Prize for ending its war on wildlife, there are a few matters it must address first.
Beijing should shut the market in shark fins, which is devastating populations worldwide, and crack down on sellers of rhino horn and pangolin scales, . It should also close tiger farms and stop exploitation of bears, says Born Free USA chief Adam Roberts.
But let鈥檚 not be ungrateful. 鈥淚 am sure the elephants would wish me to thank the Chinese premier and his government on their behalf,鈥� says Kenya鈥檚 wildlife chief Richard Leakey
Because of China鈥檚 bold action, elephants may have dodged the extinction bullet 鈥� for now. In a world famished for good news that is very good news indeed.
