Welsh MP's stance against the ivory trade and campaign to save elephants welcomed

According to the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF): "On average around 55 elephants are poached every day in Africa, that's one every 25 minutes. This appalling slaughter continues due to the global demand for ivory, with the majority of elephant tusks smuggled by criminals to Asia, despite an international trade ban." 

Now a Welsh member of Parliament Nick Thomas-Symonds, MP for Torfaen, has supported an urgent call by the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) for greater protection for elephants which are being killed for the ivory trade. With Elephant populations facing extinction due to the ivory poaching crisis, it is estimated that at least 20,000 elephants each year are killed in this cruel trade.

Nick Thomas-Symonds said: “IFAW’s research shows that the UK and Europe as a whole do play a role in the illegal ivory chain and reinforces the need for an ivory ban here in the UK and right across Europe to close these markets and help save elephants in the wild." He went on to say: “I also encourage members of the public to stand up for elephants by rejecting ivory which should only be valued on a live elephant."

IFAW is calling for a UK ban on the ivory trade as well as a European-wide ban. However, as pointed out by the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF): "It is critical that governments worldwide unite to tackle the illegal ivory trade and address corruption, as well as improve law enforcement and demand reduction strategies. The illegal wildlife trade is the fourth largest illegal trade behind drugs, human trafficking and counterfeiting, worth over an estimated £15 billion annually. It is a serious, organised crime that is decimating wildlife populations, threatening local livelihoods and fuelling further criminal activity."

 

Disclaimer: 
This blog is provided for general informational purposes only. The opinions expressed here are the author's alone and not necessarily those of Transceltic.com.