There Is Hope After All! Large Hong Kong Retailer Decides to Stop Selling Ivory

There’s good news to share coming out of Hong Kong. According to a memo obtained by WildAid, Hong Kong’s Yue Hwa Chinese Products Emporium Ltd announced that it is no longer selling ivory products! In fact, the memo also states that Yue Hwa stopped selling elephant ivory as of May 7 this year, making it the third major retailer in Hong Kong to do so. The memo goes on to say, “Our Company realized the trend of protecting endangered species in the society; we respect and agree with the will of the general public to protect these animals.”

Retailers of ivory products, Chinese Arts & Crafts (H.K.) Ltd (CAC) and Wing On Department Store, made similar announcements earlier this year. Excellent!

“Hong Kong’s three largest ivory retailers are leading by example and demonstrating the importance of stopping the trade in these products,” said WildAid Executive Director Peter Knights. “We applaud Yue Hwa for taking this important step toward protecting elephants by reducing the bloody trade and thereby lessening poaching pressures in Africa.”

All three of these large retailers heard the public’s passionate plea to end the ivory trade in Hong Kong and have stepped forward to be a part of a positive change. On May 15, 2014, about 28 tons of confiscated ivory was burned by the government!

“Yue Hwa Chinese Products Emporium Ltd will always Support the promotion of environmental protection and the protection of endangered animals. After receiving the call from the Hon Elizabeth Quat, we showed our Support by taking immediately action to stop the sale of ivory products in our shops the very same afternoon,” said Yu Kwok-Chun, the general manager of Yue Hwa Chinese Products Emporium Ltd.

Many people around the world are unaware of the cruelty and death involved in the creation of ivory products — it’s the elephants paying the initial price of ivory; humans will be paying the price when these beautiful animals are no longer on the planet.

Image source: Jonas Bengtsson/Flickr