Dear Minister Winston Peters,
Despite a global ivory ban it is still legal to import and trade ivory in New Zealand.
Importers are required to have a special permit but ivory frequently passes through the border and the market is unregulated. Importers must hold a certificate proving the specimen predates 1975, but it’s impossible to determine the age by sight. We think it’s time the loopholes were closed!
Around 20,000 African Elephants are killed by poachers each year. Despite this, it is still legal to import and trade ivory in New Zealand.
That's why we're urging the Minister of Foreign Affairs to ban all New Zealand ivory imports and trade.
The illegal wildlife trade is the fourth largest illegal trade behind drugs, human trafficking and counterfeiting, worth over $30 billion annually. It is a serious, organised crime that is decimating wildlife populations and threatening local livelihoods.
We must act now to put an end to the New Zealand ivory trade for good.
