Julian supports call for wider ivory sales ban
December 21, 2017
Julian is supporting calls for the government to widen its proposals for a ban on UK ivory sales to cover all ivory-bearing species, including the hippopotamus, walrus, and narwhal, as well as elephants.
During a question session in the House of Commons earlier this month, Conservative MP Zac Goldsmith highlighted evidence of an increase in the trade in hippo ivory, and urged Ministers to consider widening the proposed ban to cover ivory from all animals, which the government is currently consulting on.
Julian has written to Dr Therese Coffey, the Minister at the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs with responsibility for international wildlife trafficking, to express his strong support for extending the proposed trade ban to include all ivory-bearing species, and requested that his letter be treated as a formal submission to the government consultation.
Julian said “I was shocked to learn that only around 100,000 African hippos remain in existence, and that the trade in their ivory is currently growing. Given this context, it is important our government acts decisively to protect all ivory-bearing species, and suppress the demand which leads to them being hunted down and killed for their tusks.
As a constituency MP and member of the Environment Select Committee of the House of Commons, I know many people in York and across the country are very concerned about the deadly threat the ivory trade poses to animals.
The public will quite rightly expect the government’s ban to be as comprehensive as possible, and I urge all my interested constituents to contribute to the government consultation before it closes on 29th December to request an extended ban covering all ivory-bearing animals”.
Members of the public can contribute to the government consultation before it closes on 29th December here
