The elephant in the net

Research snapshot of the online ivory trade after the adoption of the new EU rules

In December 2021, IFAW welcomed the European Commission’s announcement of a revised regulation, which entered into effect in January 2022, and new guidance restricting trade in ivory, which was immediately implemented. These rules considerably reduce domestic ivory trade, as well as imports and re-exports of both raw and worked ivory, with very limited exceptions for antiques and musical instruments. Though these measures were and remain the European Union (EU)’s strongest so far, most of them are not legally binding, and they require implementation at the individual Member State level.

In 2023, IFAW commissioned an independent researcher, MK Wildlife Consultancy, to assess the scope of the online ivory trade in the EU. The researchers analysed the quantity of ivory for sale on online marketplaces and auction house websites in seven relevant EU Member States: Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Portugal, the Netherlands, and Spain. Various search methods were used to test the market. Given that ivory comes from elephants and other protected species like narwhals or whales, the research also recorded which ivory-bearing species the advertised items came from.