Good Evening and welcome to Hellifield News at 6, I’m Grace...
...and I’m Joey. Today’s top story is a controversial one:
Should the ivory trade be banned?
Our African correspondents Isla and William join us from Botswana to tell us more.
WARNING: This report may contain upsetting images.
Here in Botswana, the sight behind me is a common one.
Poachers brutally kill these extraordinary
elephants with guns and other weapons. Why do they do it? For money.
The ivory trade is a lucrative business, not only for the poachers but for the traffickers
who illegally smuggle the ivory into other countries, such as Japan, China and even the U.K!
With statistics like these, Nellie here isn't safe in her own environment.
Some shocking statistics there.
You may be wondering why this story is making
the news – after all, elephant poaching has been around decades.
Here’s our House of Commons correspondents to tell us more.
Until recent years, the sale of ivory has been legal if it dates before 1947.
This is so-called "antique" ivory.
However, this is problematic because ivory is hard to date and so traffickers have
taken advantage of this loophole in the law.
This has prompted activists to lobby government for a change in the law.
They want to see ALL ivory made illegal to stop this confusion amongst traders.
Here is what the MP for Skipton and Ripon, Julian Smith, had to say earlier today in
his MP’s surgery.
We must work with people and governments around the world
to make sure that we protect elephants from poachers.
I am confident that if we all work together we can ban the ivory trade not just in
the UK but across the world.
(Applause)
The UK agreed to work with all countries involved to stop the smuggling of ivory
and the killing of elephants.
How can we educate countries such as China, to stop?
The UK and other countries have been working closely with China and other countries to
end this situation and on 31 December 2017, China introduced a ban on ivory.
Thank you. Vote Julian!
(Applause)
Here is our MP making an impassioned speech earlier today about
animal welfare. Over to you...
I am the MP for Skipton and Ripon and I have
a dream to save the gentle giants of Africa because I believe that
these gentle creatures have a right to live as unharmed mammals,
safe from the merciless poachers.
These poor animals need protection or they will become extinct
like their earlier relatives, the mammoths.
We have to listen, learn and try to save these
poor helpless African elephants.
The ivory trade has led to 100 elephants being slaughtered each day,
one every 15 minutes.
This act is unacceptable, unbelievable and unforgivable!
These cold-hearted and inhumane poachers need to be stopped. Thank you.
Hear, hear! Hear, hear! Hear, hear!
(Voiceover) BREAKING NEWS!
Turn it down, we are trying to work!
And now we have some breaking news.
We are about to find out if the Bill has been passed
for the sale of ivory in the UK to be banned.
Good afternoon and thank you for coming.
As I'm sure you're already aware, we have been part
of a huge campaign to stop the sale of ivory in the UK.
Over the past 2 months we have worked tirelessly to bring this to the attention of the Government.
It is with great pleasure and satisfaction that we stand in front of you today as we
can finally announce the campaign has been a success.
It will be no longer legal to trade ivory of any age within the UK.
We would like to thank our local MP Mr Julian Smith who has helped us bring change in the law.
Thank you for listening, and we ask you to make a small donation
to the Save the Elephants charity today.
Thank you. No comments.
And so, you heard it here first: The U.K. now has a complete ban on the trade of ALL ivory.
Thanks for watching Hellifield News at 6. Have a good night's sleep!