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Climate Action

China postpones plan to lift the 25-year ban on endangered animals

The Chinese Government has announced that they have postponed plans to lift the 25-year ban on endangered animals.

  • 13 November 2018
  • Rachel Cooper

The Chinese Government has announced that they have postponed plans to lift the 25-year ban on endangered animals.

This announcement follows mass protest by environmentalists when, last month, China planned to increase the quotas for tiger and rhino body parts so trade could be better managed.

25 years ago China put a ban on the trade of tiger bones and rhino horns as part of a global effort to save the animals.

Environmentalists said that lifting the ban could have devastating effects for rhinoceros and tiger populations. Yesterday, the Chinese Government postponed plans to lift this ban.

The World Wildlife Fund (WWF) responded to the news. Margaret Kinnaird, WWF’s wildlife practice leader, said: “WWF welcomes the news that China has postponed lifting its ban on the domestic trade in rhino horn and tiger bone, signalling a positive response to international reaction. Allowing trade from even captive animals could have had devastating impacts on wild rhino and tiger populations. This move helps maintain the leadership role China has taken in tackling the illegal wildlife trade and reducing market demand.”

This news follows the UK Illegal Wildlife Trade Conference 2018 where it was announced that the UK Government will contribute £250 million to the United Nations Global Environment Facility by 2022. They also secured an agreement for a 30 per cent increase in the budget of the UN’s Global Wildlife Programme.

However, it has recently been reported that the European Union are backtracking on a total ivory ban, despite unrelenting pressure from environmentalists.