HONG KONG — Hong Kong lawmakers gave final approval on Wednesday to a government proposal banning local ivory trading in the Chinese territory by 2021.
Lawmakers voted overwhelmingly in favor of amending the existing law to outlaw sales of ivory in Hong Kong, which researchers say is the world’s biggest retail ivory market.The proposal also includes significantly stiffer penalties for smuggling of ivory and other highly endangered species to deter black market sales.
Under the new law, the maximum sentence will increase to a $1.3 million fine, double the current amount, and 10 years in prison, up from the current two years.Wildlife activists applauded the move, even as Hong Kong moves more slowly than Beijing. Mainland China, the biggest source of ivory demand, banned sales at the start of the year after shutting all carving factories and shops last March…
FINISH READING: Hong Kong approves ban on local ivory trading | New York Post
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