CURRENT AFFAIRS

Detailed explanation-1: -The United States implemented a near-total ban on elephant ivory trade in 2016, and the United Kingdom, Singapore, Hong Kong, and other elephant ivory markets followed suit. Most significantly, China took the remarkable step of closing its legal domestic ivory market at the end of 2017.

Detailed explanation-2: -The international commercial trade in ivory was banned in 1989, although many countries continued to sell ivory legally, within their own borders and exemptions for some types of ivory like antiques made exporting them legal, including here in the UK.

Detailed explanation-3: -On 16 December 2021, the EU announced revised regulation and new guidance, severely restricting trade in ivory. The new measures are its strongest yet.

Detailed explanation-4: -Current End-consumers of Ivory Products & Public Awareness The exact demand from Asia is unknown but in recent years China has become the largest consumer of ivory products in the world (page 7).