Animal protection: Ivory ban to be extended to five other animals
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It could soon be against the law to trade ivory from a hippopotamus, walrus, narwhal, killer whale and sperm whale.
That's because the government plans to extend the Ivory Act 2018, which came into force last year to protect elephants, to these animals as well.
Ivory is a material found in many animals tusks and horns, which is very valuable and is often sold for a lot of money.
Naturalist and TV presenter Steve Backshall said: "This is an important moment in the conservation of these iconic species. There is widespread public support for the ivory ban and today by extending it further we are sending a clear message that there is no place in the UK for this vile trade."
Punishment for breaking the law means an unlimited fine or up to five years in jail.
Members of Parliament must vote on the extension of the Act before it can come into force.
Why has the ivory ban been extended to five other species?
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The UK's Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) is responsible for things like food production and standards, as well as ensuring animals and fish are managed and looked after properly.
It says that after elephants, the hippopotamus is the species most at risk of being hunted for its ivory.
Along with walrus and sperm whale, it is classed as vulnerable on the International Union for the Conservation of Nature's red list.
This list is used by government agencies, wildlife departments, conservation-related agencies to help plan and make decisions. An animal is classed as vulnerable if it is facing extinction in the wild.
Ivory has been used as a material to make things like jewellery, combs, piano keys and religious ornaments.
The 2018 law made it illegal to buy or sell any objects containing ivory, even if they are old.
Anyone who wanted to keep an item that contained ivory had to get what was called an exemptions certificate. Since then, Defra has issued over 6,500 registrations and certificates for items which it said was necessary to protect the UK's artistic and cultural heritage.
Defra said that all three animals already face multiple threats from human activity, including poaching, deforestation and destruction of animals' habitats.
The ivory trade adds extra pressure to this.
Biodiversity minister Trudy Harrison said: "The Ivory Act is one of the toughest bans of its kind in the world and by extending greater legal protections to five more species, we are sending a clear message the commercial trade of ivory is totally unacceptable.
The UK has long led the way in conservation and our ban shows continued global leadership in doing all we can to protect the world's most endangered species.
Frances Goodrum, from the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) charity said it was encouraging to see that the ban is having a significant impact on the trade in elephant ivory.
But wildlife campaigners have also warned that the ban on elephant ivory trafficking had led to an increase in trade of hippo teeth.
Ms Goodrum said: "Other species are still poached globally to meet an unnecessary demand for luxury ivory products, including the hippopotamus, walrus, narwhal, sperm whale and killer whale.
"Today is a good day for conservation and a step change towards international commitments to safeguard our natural world."
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