Tell leaders: Deliver the ivory trade ban you promised!

Elephants and rhinos can't wait: Speak up for the promised ivory ban now >>

A promise still waiting to be delivered

In 2018, IFAW's Under the Hammer report exposed the scale of Australia's domestic ivory and rhinoceros horn trade and highlighted concerns about the ongoing sale of wildlife products through auction houses and antiques markets. The findings prompted a parliamentary inquiry, which ultimately recommended stronger national action to address the domestic trade in both ivory and rhino horn. In response, the Australian government promised to put an end to it.

Despite broad public support and years of discussion, the Australian government has yet to implement its promised comprehensive national ban. In fact, recent polling found that 95% of Australians want the government to deliver on its 2019 commitment to ban the domestic trade in elephant ivory and rhino horn.

Yet the government has still not acted on its promise.

Meanwhile, countries around the world have strengthened protections for elephants and rhinos by closing or significantly restricting domestic ivory and rhino horn markets.

Seven years after the recommendation was made, we’re still waiting...

But an elephant never forgets, and we won’t let the government forget its promise.

We are calling on the Australian government to deliver on its promise by introducing a comprehensive national ban on the domestic trade in ivory and rhino horn, once and for all. A nationally consistent approach would help protect threatened wildlife, close loopholes that can enable illegal trade, and ensure Australia is not contributing to global demand for wildlife products.

Urge action from leaders today >>

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The Hon

Murray

Watt

Government of Australia

Dear Minister,

I am writing as one of the International Fund for Animal Welfare’s (IFAW) 443,700 Australian supporters to ask that our government delivers on its promise to ban the domestic trade in ivory and rhino horn. All three elephant species and four of the five species of rhinoceros are at serious risk of extinction, and Australia can, and must play its part in protecting these animals.

A 2018 federal parliamentary inquiry recommended the “Commonwealth, states and territories, through the Council of Australian Governments, develop and implement a national domestic trade ban on elephant ivory and rhinoceros horn”.

In 2019, all Australian jurisdictions committed to identifying appropriate mechanisms to eliminate domestic trade in ivory and rhino horn. It’s time to make this commitment a reality.  Recent polling showed that 95% of Australians want the government to deliver on its 2019 commitment to ban the domestic trade in elephant ivory and rhino horn.

While a strict ban is in place for international commercial trade in elephant ivory and rhino horn, a number of countries, including Australia, still allow an unregulated domestic trade. Domestic markets provide opportunities for trafficked ivory to find a market, stimulate and legitimise demand for ivory and rhino horn, and encourage the illegal killing to continue and pushing the species closer to extinction.

Just as we ask the global community to help us protect unique Australian wildlife, Australia has an important role to play in protecting elephants and rhinos by closing the domestic ivory and rhino horn trade.

Please deliver on your promise.

Yours sincerely,

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