Putting a Stop To Poaching.docVIP

Putting a Stop To Poaching 　　Raw tusks and carved ivory pieces as well as other ivory products went into a crusher and were ground into rubble and ash in a massive public display that destroyed 662 kg of the illegal items. 　　The event， called the Confiscated Ivory Destruction Ceremony， was held at the Beijing Wildlife Rescue and Rehabilitation Center on May 29. It is the third time that China has destroyed confiscated ivory in public after 6.1 metric tonnes of ivory were destroyed in Dongguan， south China’s Guangdong Province， and another 28 in Hong Kong in 2014. 　　“This event demonstrates the firm resolution of the Chinese Government in advancing ecological civility， conserving wildlife and combating illegal trade of wildlife and its products including ivory，” said Zhao Shucong， Minister of the State Forestry Administration， at the ceremony. 　　 Debate on destruction 　　In 1989， Kenya responded to rampant elephant poaching by burning its stockpile and became the first country to express a firm stance against illegal poaching in this way. 　　Many other countries followed suit. “Over the past 24 months， we have seen Belgium， Chad， the Republic of Congo， Ethiopia， France， Gabon， Kenya， the Philippines， the United Arab Emirates and the United States all destroy stockpiles of illegally traded elephant ivory that has been seized and confiscated，” said John Scalon， Secretary General of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora （CITES）， in the written remarks of the ceremony. 　　As an international agreement between governments going into force on July 1， 1975， CITES aims at ensuring the international trade in specimens of wild animals and plants does not threaten their survival. 　　In a survey conducted by the Wildlife Conservation Society based in New York City after the destruction on May 29， more than 50 percent agreed that the destruction is a right way to say no to the illegal ivory trade while about 20 percent thought