Close domestic marketsCITES recommended on Sunday that countries with legal domestic ivory markets — which are not regulated by the convention as its remit is cross-border trade — start closing them down because they are seen as contributing to poaching. Many conservationists say legal markets are used to launder trafficked ivory. Governments at CITES #CoP17 agree in Committee to close domestic markets of #elephant #ivory that contribute to #poaching or illegal trade pic.twitter.com/kkE868mttz — @CITESHowever, Japan, which also has a large domestic ivory trade, has said the resolution does not apply there. "It's very disappointing for the Japanese government to deny the existence of illegal ivory in their markets," Iris Ho, from Humane Society International, told BBC. "Ivory belongs to the elephants and ivory is worth more on a live animal rather than a dead animal," Kenyan Environment Minister Judi Wakhungu told Reuters.

Source: CBC News October 03, 2016 15:00 UTC