International Ivory Trade survey

Majority of Public in Western Europe and North America Support New Ban on Ivory Products

The International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) recently released the results of an International Ivory Trade survey conducted by Ipsos in Canada, France, Great Britain, Spain and the USA, which asked approximately 1,000 adults aged 15+ in each country 'What stance, if any, would you personally like your Government to take on a proposed new ban on the trade in ivory?'

Over eight in ten people in France (85%) and Great Britain (83%), three in four people in Spain (76%), seven in ten people in Italy (72%) and USA (72%), and two in three Canadians (66%) supported the new ban. This included seven out of ten members of public in France (71%) and Spain (71%) who strongly support the new ban.

The ratio of support to opposition is the highest in Northern Europe — France (12:1) and Great Britain, (10:1), followed by Spain (8:1) and America (8:1), and then Italy (5:1) and Canada (3:1). While the results are varied from country-to-country they clearly show that the majority of the general public in these countries supports the new ban.

For further information please contact:

• Cindy Milburn, Acting Director at IFAW Washington DC Office on +1 202 536 1920 and cell phone number: +1 508 400 7364 or email [email protected]. Alternatively visit www.ifaw.org
• For questions relating to the polling results, contact Sir Robert Worcester at Ipsos on 020 7347 3000

Technical details

Ipsos interviewed approximately 1,000 adults aged 15+ by telephone in Canada (1,013), France (1,013), Great Britain (1,004), Spain (1,045) and USA (1,023). Fieldwork was conducted in Canada from 2-4 April 2007, in France from 7-10 April, in Great Britain from 9-11 March, in Italy from 11-15 May and in Spain from 13-15 April and in USA from 2-4 April. National results are weighted to the known profile of each country.

A split sample was used to test knowledge of CITES and the current ivory trade ban — one version of the question provided a brief background to a ban in ivory products while the second version did not provide the background. However, in case of all six countries there was no significant difference in terms of results between the two samples.

Topline Results

• Results based on telephone based interviews conducted with adults aged 15+ in Canada (1,013), France (1,013), Great Britain (1,004), Spain (1,045) and USA (1,023).
• Fieldwork in Canada was conducted from 2-4 April 2007. Fieldwork in France was conducted from 7-10 April 2007. Fieldwork in Great Britain was conducted from 9-11 March 2007. Fieldwork in Spain was conducted from 13-15 April. Fieldwork in USA was conducted from 2-4 April 2007. Fieldwork in Italy was conducted from 11-15 May 2007.
• Results are based on all respondents unless otherwise stated.
• Data weighted to the known profile of Canada, France, Great Britain, Spain, USA and Italy.
• Where results do not sum to 100, this may be due to multiple responses or computer rounding.
• An asterisk (*) represents a value below 0.5%, but not zero.

Please note: Version one (V1) of the split sample consists of the full introduction (italics, in brackets) being read out; version two (V2) of the split sample consists of the two paragraphs in brackets being excluded. The column labelled as 'All' stands for the aggregate total score of the two split sample results.

(As you may know, the international trade in ivory and ivory products is controlled and monitored by an organisations called CITES ('Site-eez') — the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species.

In 1989, CITES brought in a global ban on the commercial trade in ivory in order to protect elephant numbers. More recently, some African countries have been allowed to sell their old stockpiles of ivory, as elephant numbers in these countries have increased. In other African countries, however, poaching of elephants for their ivory has caused a sharp fall in elephant numbers.)

The Kenyan and Mali Governments have now proposed a new 20-year ban on the trade in ivory products from all elephants in Africa. Some countries support this new ban, and others oppose it.

What stance, if any, would you personally like the British Government to take on this proposed new ban on the trade in ivory?

Do you think that the British government should …?