Belgium Crushes its Elephant Ivory As Europe Takes Harder Look at Wildlife Trafficking
Belgium is the second European nation, after France, to pulverize its ivory stockpile.
Belgium joined the U.S., France, Gabon, Chad, China, Zambia, and the Philippines on Wednesday morning, when it became the latest nation to destroy its ivory stockpile.
One and a half tons of ivory were pulverized on the grounds of the Royal Museum for Central Africa, in Tervuren, just outside Brussels. Belgian Deputy Prime Minister Laurette Onkelinx hosted the event, and Gratien Capiau, head of customs procedures, spoke. Also there were ambassadors and dignitaries from various nations, including from the U.S., France, the U.K., and the key elephant-range states of Tanzania and South Africa.
The International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) helped organize the event. Adrian Hiel, the EU communications director for IFAW, said that after the U.S. crush, in
