Hong Kong’s Chief Executive, Leung Chun-ying, announced plans to ban the domestic ivory trade during his 2016 Policy Address. The annual speech lays out the year’s policy agenda.

In the middle of the two-hour monologue, between statements on electric vehicles and waste management, Leung said that the government “will kick-start legislative procedures as soon as possible to ban the import and export of elephant hunting trophies.”

And, he said, Hong Kong will explore other legislative measures to ensure an effective ban on the import and export of ivory and phase out the local ivory trade. In addition, Hong Kong will impose heavier penalties on smuggling and illegal trading of endangered species.

The milestone was welcomed. The South China Morning