BEIJING — In a move aimed at countering international criticism of skyrocketing Chinese demand for ivory that is decimating African elephant populations, China announced on Thursday a one-year moratorium on the import of ivory carvings.
The State Forestry Administration, which oversees China’s wildlife trade, published a notice of the temporary ban on its website, stating that the agency had stopped issuing import permits for carvings obtained since 1991, when China adopted the terms of a 1989 ban, backed by the United Nations, on the commercial ivory trade.
According to a report in the state-run Legal Evening News, an unnamed forestry official explained that the moratorium was implemented to let the authorities evaluate a ban’s effectiveness in protecting African elephants.
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“China can emerge a leader in the fight against ivory trafficking by adopting a total ban on domestic trade in ivory,” she said. “This is the policy change that could actually make a difference for elephants in Africa.”
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