An overwhelmingly number of surveyed Chinese consumers said they would support an ivory ban, and comes ahead of the government's ban on the ivory trade at the end of the year, a report said.
Two wildlife conservation organizations, World Wildlife Fund (WWF) and TRAFFIC, jointly issued a report Tuesday saying that the ivory ban, announced by the State Council, China's cabinet, in December 2016 has received overwhelming support from the Chinese public, with 86 percent of those surveyed saying they would support the ban.
The survey included 2,027 respondents from 15 cities with relatively active ivory markets, including Beijing, Shanghai Guangzhou and Chengdu.
The report found that more than half of past ivory buyers have stopped buying, the majority in the last three years, but demand for ivory will continue among some demographics.
It also said that the ivory trade has dropped in the last three years in cities like Beijing and Chengdu, where regulations might be stricter and awareness of the ban is greater. However, the ivory trade has moved to regional cities in China.
It also said many citizens are unaware of the forthcoming ban. Only 19 percent recalled regulations on the ivory trade without prodding, while 46 percent needed prodding.
"By closing its ivory markets, China is showing its commitment to ending the poaching epidemic plaguing Africa's elephants," said Ginette Hemley, WWF US Senior Vice President and TRAFFIC Board Member. "It is critical that efforts to ban the ivory trade are accompanied by efforts to change consumer behavior in order to reduce demand."
