Whales and walrus to receive greater legal protection

Walrus, narwhal, orca whales, sperm whales and hippopotamus are set to receive greater legal protections under the UK’s ban on importing, exporting and dealing in items containing ivory the government announced today (Tuesday 23 May 2023).

The government says today’s consultation response confirms plans to extend the Ivory Act 2018 to ban all dealing in ivory from these species, including imports and exports. 

“This is a pivotal moment in delivering one of our key manifesto commitments on international conservation,” says Trudy Harrison, biodiversity minister. “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.”

Steve Backshall MBE comments: “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.”

Hippopotamus is the species most at risk from the trade in its ivory after elephants. While the other species are already threatened by climate change, the continuing trade in their ivory may exacerbate these threats and make their long-term survival less likely.  

All five species are listed under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Fauna and Flora (CITES), which regulates their trade internationally, and hippopotamus, walrus and sperm whale are listed as vulnerable on the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) red list.  

Although not often seen in the UK, last year (2022) a walrus nicknamed ‘Thor’ was spotted resting on a Hampshire beach.