In recent months a number of governments around the world have taken the step of publicly destroying their stockpiles of seized illegal ivory to give credence to their anti-poaching stance.
Their actions have provoked fierce debate with some arguing that crushing or buring ivory is little more than a publicity stunt when the ivory could be sold to raise funds to use in combatting poaching and that removing this ivory will simply mean that the price goes up and the incentive to poach is even greater. Thos eon th eother side argue that as a seized illegal commodity the ivory must be destroyed.
The debate will undoubtedly rumble on for quite a while but if you’d like to read a bit more about the arguments being put forward – both for and against – then check out this page on the Guardian website where Karl Mathiesen has gathered together some of the most articulate supportes on both sides.