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Ivory bill becomes UK law
Approximately 20,000 elephants are poached every year for ivory.
New bill bans the commercial use of ivory in the UK

A ban on ivory sales has become UK law in the Ivory Act 2018. It is predicted to come into force in late 2019.

Introduced in May 2018, the bill has passed parliamentary processes with support across the house.

Approximately 20,000 elephants are poached every year for ivory and the elephant population has dropped by nearly a third in the last 10 years.

Wildlife charity Born Free has welcomed the bill and calls it “a vindication of Born Free’s long-standing assertion that only by banning the trade in ivory can we hope to bring an end to the poaching of elephants, who are being slaughtered on an industrial scale to provide the market with tokens and trinkets”.

The Act will:
  • submit a total ban on dealing in ivory, irrespective of its age, within the UK. This will include imports and exports to and from the UK
  • introduce a new compliance system in which current owners of ivory can continue to trade in exempt items. Such allowances include musical instruments made before 1975 with an ivory content of less than 20%, and sales to accredited museums.
  • implement tough new penalties for anyone found guilty of disobeying the law.

Environment secretary, Michael Gove, commented:

“It is an extraordinary achievement to have passed this Act of Parliament. The Ivory Act is a landmark in our fight to protect wildlife and the environment. The speed of its passage through Parliament shows the strength of feeling on all sides of the House on this critical issue.”

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Vets to run marathon for World Animal Protection

News Story 1
 Two recently graduated veterinary surgeons will be running the London Marathon in April to raise money for the charity World Animal Protection.

Alex Bartlett and Maeve O'Neill plan to run the race together if they are given the same start times.

Dr O'Neill said: "You're always limited in what you can do to help animals, so it is nice to raise money for a charity that helps animals around the world."

Dr Bartlett added: "I have never run a marathon before and am excited to run my first one for such a good cause!"

Both Dr Bartlett and Dr O'Neill have fundraising pages online. 

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News Shorts
BSAVA releases new Guide to Procedures

The British Small Animal Veterinary Association (BSAVA) has published a new edition of its Guide to Procedures for Small Animal Practice.

It has added four new procedures; cystostomy tube placement, endotracheal intubation, point-of-care ultrasound and wet-to-dry dressings.

BSAVA says that it is an essential step-by-step guide to diagnostic and therapeutic procedures performed in practice. The textbook includes new images and illustrations, as well as high-definition videos for use prior to procedures.

Nick Bexfield and Julia Riggs, editors of the new edition, said: "We have built upon the success of the previous editions by responding to the feedback received from the BSAVA readership, and hope this new guide helps to further increase the confidence and accuracy with which these procedures are performed."

Print copies are available in the BSAVA store, with a digital version in the BSAVA library.