The Thai government’s actions are already shaping up to change Thailand’s ivory trade and Thai public opinion on ivory for good. However, WWF remains concerned about how legal ivory and retail sellers will be tracked under the new system, and what type of sales certificates will be produced for retail customers. Important questions remain about how the Thai government will be able to enforce its new ivory laws, how future stocks and retail markets will be inspected, and what penalties will be given to non-registered ivory retailers and traffickers.
WWF stands ready to support the Thai government’s effort to prove the effectiveness of its implementation and law enforcement in curbing illegal ivory. However, if the latest control mechanism fails to prevent laundering of illegal ivory, moratorium of domestic ivory market will be advocated.
WWF will keep fighting to wipe out illegal ivory trade and the demand for ivory for the future of wild elephants.