Hong Kong Elephant Walk pushes to protect elephants, sharks and pangolins
Protection for elephants, sharks and pangolins topped the agenda at the third annual Elephant Walk this afternoon.
Speaking at the Elephant Walk's opening ceremony this afternoon, Dr Christine Loh Kung-wai, Undersecretary of Environment in Hong Kong, urged NGOs to keep voicing out against ivory, shark fins, and pangolins.
"The government's promotions are not useless but they are different from NGOs'," Loh told the Post. "Theirs are more creative and effective [in changing the public's perception towards endangered species]."
Referring to the recent joint pledge by Washington and Beijing to enact a near-complete ban on imports and exports of ivory, Loh said the Hong Kong government is communicating with Chinese authorities to understand what "near ban" means and will act accordingly.
Hong Kong is a major trading hub for illegal ivory products, ranking fifth globally for quatity of ivory contraband confiscated, ivory researchers Esmond Martin & Lucy Vigne said in a 2015 report.
The city is also the world's largest retail market for ivory, with 400 licensed businesses offering more than 30,000 pieces on sale, the report says.
"We must ban domestic trade that provides an avenue for illegal ivory to be laundered for sale," said Sharon Kwok Sau-wan, Executive Director of AquaMeridan.
Over 150 cities, such as London, Paris, Nairobi, Singapore and Tokyo, participated in the Global March for Elephants and Rhinos last weekend.
