Basing upon the key attention to poaching of African elephants and impacts of illegal ivory trade, CITES China and the CITES Secretariat con-organized a Workshop on demand-side strategies for curbing illegal ivory trade during Jan. 28-29, 2015 in Hangzhou, China. The Workshop aimed at better understanding the markets, the motivations and the economics of the demand for illegal ivory, identifying the main stakeholders and investors and raising their awareness of the negative consequences of ivory speculation, including the financial loss and penalties ivory smugglers, sellers and buyers are exposing themselves to, and the devastating impacts these investments are having on elephants and people.
