Life Solved
Working With The Antiques Trade To Change The Law On Ivory ft. Caroline Cox
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Episode notes
For the rest of this series of Life Solved, we’re delving into the world of wildlife crime.
The University of Portsmouth is addressing the illegal trade in animals and plants through cutting-edge research and real-world application. This time Caroline Cox explains how her work led her to providing vital information to support a change in the law here in the UK.
In fact, the UK has recently introduced a world-leading ban on the trade in elephant ivory with strict conditions introduced for what objects can change hand.
Until recently, antique dealers were allowed to trade in ivory products created from animals that had died before 1947. But not only is it tricky to identify the age of ivory, the uncertainty here meant that some were unwittingly breaking the law, whilst others were deliberately taking advantage. The illegal slaughter of elephants for their ivory was still taking place, enabled in part by uncertainty in the rules of trade.
That’s where Caroline, a Senior Lecturer in Law, passionate about antiques, teamed up with the University of Portsmouth’s Nick Pamment to form the Ivory Project.
In this episode she explains how they interviewed antiques dealers to better understand the issues, and ended up creating a body of work of international importance.
POINTS OF INTEREST & FURTHER READING
Find out more about Caroline Cox
Read Caroline’s report ‘The Elephant in the Sales Room’
https://researchportal.port.ac.uk/portal/files/26100547/Ivory_Report_Final_Draft23022017_v02.pdf
The Ivory Project
https://www.port.ac.uk/research/research-projects/the-ivory-project
What is Wildlife Crime?
https://cites.org/eng/prog/iccwc/crime.php
The Ivory Act is passing into law
https://www.gov.uk/government/news/uks-world-leading-ivory-ban-moves-step-closer
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