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| Hong Kong votes to ban ivory sales one month after China embargo comes into force | Hong Kong votes to ban ivory sales one month after China embargo comes into force |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| Hong Kong has voted to ban the trade of ivory in a landmark decision after years of campaigning. | Hong Kong has voted to ban the trade of ivory in a landmark decision after years of campaigning. |
| Politicians voted in favour of amending an existing law to outlaw sales of ivory by 2021. | |
| The proposal also includes significantly stiffer penalties for wildlife smuggling to deter black market sales. | |
| Researchers say Hong Kong is the world’s largest ivory market. | |
| Under the new law, the maximum sentence will increase to a HK$10m (£920,000) fine or 10 years in prison, up from the current two years. | |
| Wildlife activists celebrated the move, even though Hong Kong has moved more slowly than mainland China. | |
| Beijing banned ivory sales at the start of the year after shutting all carving factories and shops last March. | |
| Earlier this month, a member of Hong Kong's endangered species board pleaded guilty to illegal ivory possession and was fined fined HK$8,000 (£756). |