Singapore completely bans domestic trade in elephant ivory and ivory products
Singapore completely bans domestic trade in elephant ivory and ivory
products
The Online Citizen
September 2, 2021
Starting from Wednesday (1 September), Singapore has imposed a nationwide
ban in the sale of elephant ivory and ivory products, after first
announcing it in 2019.
The National Parks Board (NParks) said in a Facebook post on Tuesday (31
August) that it will become illegal for anyone to sell any ivory products,
including elephant ivory, in the Republic.
If that’s not all, the public display of elephant ivory and ivory products
for the purpose of sale will also be prohibited.
“As a signatory to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered
Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), Singapore takes a zero-tolerance
stance on illegal wildlife trade.
“This ban on the domestic trade in elephant ivory, first announced in 2019,
highlights our resolve in the fight against the illegal ivory trade,” said
NParks.
From 1 Sep onwards, those who have been found guilty for offering elephant
ivory, or ivory products, for sale, or displaying said items for the
purpose of sale, may be charged under the Endangered Species (Import &
Export) Act.
The offence carries a penalty of a fine of up to S$10,000 per specimen, not
exceeding S$100,000 in total and/or up to 12 months’ imprisonment upon
conviction.
In 2017, Member of Parliament (MP) and wildlife society ACRES founder Louis
Ng first raised the issue of a complete ban on domestic trade in elephant
ivory in Parliament. Two year later, the decision of a complete ban was
announced after a public consultation was made.
Before this, the local sale of ivory is still allowed if vendors can
provide documentations stating that their ivory was imported before 1990,
or were acquired before elephants were categorised as endangered species by
CITES.
Since 2019, traders were given two years to either donate their ivory to
institutions for educational purposes, or keep them.
Some not-for-sale purposes of ivory will continue to be allowed, and these
include the public display of ivory for educational or religious purposes.