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BLOG: Japan, Ivory, & CITES SC78
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By Amy Zets Croke (EIA Senior Manager, Wildlife Campaigns) and Masayuki Sakamoto (JTEF Executive Director) Among many other important issues relevant to keeping elephants safe from international commercial trade, domestic ivory markets were on the agenda at the 78th meeting of the CITES Standing Committee (SC78). To protect elephants, countries endorsed and encouraged the closure of domestic ivory markets to support the international ban on commercial ivory trade in 2016 at the 17th meeting of the Conference of the Parties (CoP17) to CITES. Specifically, Parties agreed by consensus to language in Resolution Conf. 10.10 (Rev. CoP19) paragraph 5 that “urges those Parties in whose jurisdiction there is a legal domestic market for ivory that is contributing to poaching or illegal…

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REPORTS: Opportunity for Action: Japan’s Legal Ivory Trade
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Japan’s Law (or Act) for the Conservation of Endangered Species (LCES or ACES) is currently undergoing a statutory review, the first since 2017. Now is the time to make amendments to effectively close the market for ivory. An assessment and drafting are underway and an amendment bill will be submitted to the National Diet in early 2026.Actions regarding the closure of domestic ivory markets, including recommendations for Japan, within CITES are relevant and could influence the Government of Japan’s decisions on including the closure of Japan’s ivory market in the bill. Japan has a real opportunity during the LCES revision process to make a strong statement supporting elephants by closing its domestic ivory market. See the report here.

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BLOG: Tokyo’s Ivory Paradox: Promoting Trade While Promising Reform
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By Masayuki Sakamoto, Executive Director of the Japan Tiger and Elephant Fund and Amy Zets Croke, Senior Manager at the Environmental Investigation Agency In Japan, Tokyo’s elephant ivory trade policy approach is in the middle of a paradox. On one hand, Governor Yuriko Koike’s administration has promised reform of domestic trade controls in ivory to prevent illegal export. On the other hand, Tokyo Metropolitan Government has been providing subsidies to increase demand for ivory and work towards pushing for international trade to be reopened. Where does Tokyo leadership really stand? VIDEO: Tokyo’s Ivory Paradox: Promoting Trade While Promising Reform In Africa, elephants continue to be poached for their tusks to supply the trade in their ivory – today, Japan is…

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REPORT: Submission of the briefing on TMG’s subsidies to ivory industry to the Governor
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On June 11, 2024, JTEF and Environmental Investigation Agency based in Washington D.C. submitted a briefing: “Tokyo Metropolitan Government Subsidies to Ivory Industry Stakeholders” to Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike (See the summary the briefing on EIA website). It revealed that Tokyo Metropolitan Government’s Bureau of Industrial and Labor Affairs has paid subsidies annually [yearly average of around 4 million JPY (33,000 USD)] to Tokyo’s leading ivory industry association with the goals of igniting the resumption of international ivory trade, increasing the domestic demand for ivory crafts and products, and facilitating the trade in ivory. Project Examples The ivory association described in the application form dated July 5th, 2021: “Currently, Namibia, Zimbabwe, South Africa and Botswana whose president was replaced and…

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