By the close of the congress, the global conservation community had stepped up to say: No more domestic ivory sales. The final vote overwhelmingly approving Motion 007 calling for closure of domestic elephant ivory markets across the globe was vital, for the news about Africa's elephants is as bad as bad news gets. The 2016 IUCN World Conservation Congress passed a strong measure in Hawaii calling for the closure of global domestic ivory markets. The shutting down of domestic ivory markets would send a clear signal to traffickers and organized criminal syndicates that ivory is worthless and will no longer support their criminal activities. While China has not taken the final step needed to shut down its domestic ivory market, it has committed to close its market soon - an action likely to inflict a grave blow to ivory criminals.

Source: Huffington Post September 11, 2016 06:56 UTC