Page 29 - EIA Report on Tanzanian African Ivory Smuggling 2014 report
P. 29
END MARKET: CHINA
Far removed from the elephant poaching 2002 the market in China relied on “By 2002 the market
crisis in Tanzania, ivory is presented as smuggled ivory, which was being in China relied on
exquisite and valuable decorative items easily laundered in to an ineffectively smuggled ivory,
in China, the world’s largest destination regulated market.96 which was being
market for illegal ivory.93 easily laundered in
Investigations in China also highlighted to an ineffectively
The current surge in illegal ivory trading the role of the Government in the trade, regulated market”
in China is a consequence of several particularly state-owned ivory carving
connected factors; the creation of a factories and stores. For example, EIA 28
parallel legal domestic market for ivory investigations exposed the dubious
in China by CITES decisions, the role origin of ivory sold by a Chinese
of the Chinese Government and industry company in Guangzhou, Yue Ya, which
in stimulating demand for ivory supplied ivory to Government-owned
products, and failure to stop the flow Friendship Stores. Further, it was
of smuggled ivory through Hong Kong reported that between 1990 and at
to mainland China. least 2004, illegal ivory seized by the
Chinese Government was sold to the
The problem has been growing since domestic market and, in November
the late 1990s. In 1999, half of all 2004, authorities in Guangdong
ivory seized around the world was province auctioned almost a tonne of
destined for China.94 In 2000, EIA was illegal ivory to domestic traders.97
one of the first organisations to warn
of the growing demand for ivory in EIA investigations and research from
China after investigations in 1999 to 2005 documented the rising
Guangdong revealed new enterprises role played by China in the illegal
entering the market.95 ivory trade, including:
Although Chinese legislation allows • EIA investigations in 1999 in
trade in pre-ban ivory, the scale of the Guangzhou and Beijing found a
ivory documented by EIA in a series of growing ivory market, despite the
investigations, along with information fact that Guangzhou ivory carvers
obtained from conversations with trade had only a two-month supply on
sources, clearly demonstrated that by hand in 1989 at the time of the ban;
