3 Policy Response: Tackling the Trade at All Levels
Understanding demand In January 2014 over six tonnes of confiscated ivory were publicly destroyed in Dongguan, Guangdong Province, a major hub of ivory trade in China.46 This landmark move represented the first time that this country, the lead source of demand for illegal ivory from Central and East Africa,47 has destroyed what is considered a popular commodity by the expanding Chinese middle class. This could well be part of Xi Jinping’s anti-corruption drive, although no explicit links can be found connecting the two. A recent trend in high-profile celebrity involvement in the fight against the illegal wildlife trade has spread awareness of the issue among the general public, with globally recognized figures including the basketball player Yao Ming taking a stand against the ivory and rhino horn trade. According to Haken (2011), the most lucrative products in illegal wildlife trade are elephant ivory, tiger bones and rhino horns, with demand falling into three categories: traditional East Asian medicine (TEAM), commercial products and exotic pets.48 China is the largest consumer of ivory products, and has used rhino horn for traditional medicinal purposes for thousands of years.49 In other Asian countries however, the use of products derived from endangered species has been falling. In South Korea, where tiger parts and rhino horn have traditionally been used for medicinal purposes,50 the demand for these products has decreased substantially since they were banned. Practitioners of Korean traditional medicine have cited the development of effective alternatives – such as herbal substitutes – as one factor contributing to this trend.51 Much of the available literature on consumer demand for ivory and rhino horn products notes that this has been driven by a rising middle class in Asia with larger disposable incomes, although further explanation is lacking. One publication states that since 2004 there has been a 50 per cent increase in ivory items for sale in Guangzhou,52 an important ivory centre in China. There is a need for more empirical data to assess the rise in demand, and probably also for a wider literature review incorporating Chinese and Asian publications.
46 New York Times (2014), ‘China destroys 6 tons of Ivory’: http://sinosphere.blogs.nytimes.com/2014/01/06/china-destroys-6-tons-ofivory/?_php=true&_type=blogs&_r=0. 47 CNN (2014), ‘China crushes tons of illegal ivory’: http://edition.cnn.com/2014/01/06/world/asia/china-ivory-stockpile/. 48 Haken (2011), ‘Transnational Crime in the Developing World’, p. 12. 49 Ellis, Richard (2005), ‘Poaching for Traditional Chinese Medicine’, Save the Rhino: http://www.savetherhino.org/rhino_info/threats_to_rhino/ poaching_for_traditional_chinese_medicine. 50 Sue Kang and Marcus Phipps (2003), ‘A Question of Attitude: South Korea’s Traditional Medicine Practitioners and Wildlife Conservation’, TRAFFIC East Asia, p. v. 51 Ibid. 52 Esmond Martin and Lucy Vigne (2011), ‘The Ivory Dynasty: A Report on the Soaring Demand for Elephant and Mammoth Ivory in Southern China’, published by Elephant and Family, the Aspinall Foundation and Columbus Zoo and Aquarium, p. 4.
