“This act is a strong statement to the rest of the world that the Philippines is serious and will not tolerate illegal wildlife trade,†Environment Secretary Ramon Paje told a crowd of foreign dignitaries, wildlife campaigners and local and international media.
Ivory can fetch from $1,000 to $2,000 per kilogram on the black market and more than $50,000 for an entire tusk, according to reports.
Bonaventure Ebayi, chair of the Lusaka Agreement Task Force, an intergovernmental body on illegal wildlife trade based in Nairobi, Kenya, said the Philippine government’s action was a model that ought to be replicated in other parts of Asia.
The US Embassy’s economic officer, Heath Bailey, said the Philippines was the first “ivory-consuming nation†to destroy its stash of contraband ivory.
Bryan Christy, a lawyer and journalist who exposed the Philippines’ role as a consumer of religious icons and figurines made of ivory, was also invited to the event.
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