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Government consulting on expansion of 2018 Ivory Act
The survey will be open until 11 September 2021.
The Government is seeking opinions on whether to extend the ban to other ivory-bearing species.

DEFRA is launching a consultation seeking views from the public, industry, and stakeholders on extending the Ivory Act to other species.

The consultation will gather opinions on whether the Government should bring forward legislation to extend the ban on the commercial dealing of elephant ivory in the UK to other ivory-bearing species.

The Ivory Act 2018, when commenced, will ban the sale, purchase, or hire of items which are made of or contain elephant ivory, regardless of the age of the item. This ban will apply to dealings which take place within the UK, and to imports and exports to and from the UK for commercial purposes. 

International environment minister Lord Goldsmith, who launched the consultation, said: “The Ivory Act is one of the toughest bans of its kind in the world and sends a clear message that we are doing all that we can to save elephants from the threat of extinction. 

“However the ivory trade is a conservation threat for other magnificent species such as the hippo, narwhal and walrus that are at threat. So I urge everyone to share their views to help ensure we can protect more animals from the grim ivory trade.”

DEFRA is consulting on three options. Firstly, extending the Ivory Act to hippopotamus ivory, and secondly, extending the Act to ivory from five CITES-listed species (hippopotamus, narwhal, killer whale, sperm whale, and walrus). 

The third option is to do nothing and continue to apply current international and domestic conservation rules.

The survey will be open for opinions until 11 September 2021, and can be accessed here

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Reporting service for dead wild birds updated

News Story 1
 The Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) has updated its online reporting service for dead wild birds.

The new version allows those reporting a dead bird to drop a pin on a map when reporting the location. It also includes a wider range of wild bird species groups to select from when describing the bird.

The online service, which helps APHA to monitor the spread of diseases such as avian influenza, can be accessed here. 

Click here for more...
News Shorts
NI chief vet urges bluetongue vigilance

Northern Ireland's chief veterinary officer (CVO) has urged farmers to be vigilant for signs of bluetongue, after the Animal and Plant Health Agency warned there was a very high probability of further cases in Great Britain.

There have been 126 confirmed cases of bluetongue virus serotype 3 in England since November 2023, with no cases reported in Northern Ireland. The movement of live ruminants from Great Britain to Northern Ireland is currently suspended.

According to the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA), the virus is most likely to enter Northern Ireland through infected animals or germplasm (semen or ova) being imported.

Brian Dooher, Northern Ireland's CVO, said: "Surveillance for this disease within Northern Ireland has been increased to assist with detection at the earliest opportunity which will facilitate more effective control measures."

Farmers should report any suspicions of the disease to their private veterinary practitioner, the DAERA Helpline on 0300 200 7840 or their local DAERA Direct Veterinary Office.