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Last Friday, the Chinese government announced it would end all...
Reportage by Getty Images TumblrLast Friday, the Chinese government announced it would end all commercial sales in ivory by the end of 2017, shuttering the world’s largest ivory market, one which has been a driving force for elephant poaching in Africa. Conservation groups are celebrating the sales ban as a massive blow to ivory trafficking and poaching, which have decimated Africa’s elephant populations in the last decade. The shutdown of the market will occur in phases, starting with the closure of legal ivory factories, such as the one run by the China National Arts and Crafts Corporation, photographed here in 2011 by Getty Images Reportage photographer Brent Stirton. This factory was supposedly the world’s largest ivory carving facility, employing more than 20 carvers and processing 750kg in raw ivory annually. After the shutdown, China’s Ministry of Culture will reportedly transfer legal ivory to museums and help industry workers find related jobs.
See more of Brent’s work on the ivory trade on the Reportage website.
