New Law Cracks Down on Smuggling of African Ivory in Thailand
macro_elephant by Théo is licensed under CC BY 2.0
Registration of elephant tusks for owners of locally sourced ivory began in Bangkok on Monday, February 2, reports The Nation.
The ivory registration is part of the enforcement of new law that went into effect on January 22.
The new law is reportedly aimed at identifying locally sourced ivory from African ivory in The Kingdom so the Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation (DNP) can crackdown on illegal African ivory smuggling.
According to The Nation, the new law imposes the following restrictions on ivory ownership:
- No individual can posses more than two pieces of ivory OR
- No individual can posses more than two ivory necklaces or four ivory bracelets
- One household is only permitted possession of 12 such ivory pieces
Nipon Chotibal, the director-general of the Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation (DNP), also said that ivory pieces currently possessed by individuals can only be inherited, not sold, traded, given away or transferred.
The Nation reports that owners of locally sourced ivory have until April 21 to register at the Phairoj Suwannakorn Building in the DNP’s Wildlife Conservation Office compound off Phahonyothin Road in Bangkok.
Owners of ivory from Africa can register in a 90-day period starting from March 14.
Read the full story here.
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