Misunderstanding

Last year, the WWF and TRAFFIC conducted a survey which revealed that many people didn't understand that only a limited number of retailers are legally entitled to sell ivory products. Many were also unaware that legal ivory products are always accompanied by a certificate, which notes the product's weight, size, shape and registered code.

The survey also found that the certificates are often not offered to the purchasers, and noted that more than 28 percent of retail outlets were suspected of involvement in laundering illegal ivory.

"Retailers show customers a carving with the certificate, but then ask the buyer to leave the certificate with them," Zhou said. "The card is useless to most buyers. If the product is made from ivory, instead of other materials, people seldom care about whether they keep a certificate or not."

This method allows unscrupulous retailers to use one certificate to sell more than one piece of work, usually items made from illegally acquired tusks that look very similar to the photo on the certificate, though not a perfect match.

It is difficult to determine illegally sourced ivory products in the marketplace, which has resulted in a challenging gray area for law enforcement officials, according to Zhou, who said the emerging trend of illegal ivory trading online has produced another challenge to market regulation.

Selling ivory on the internet is illegal, and major websites have banned the practice. Since 2012, TRAFFIC has monitored the trade in endangered species on 31 domestic e-commerce and antique or collectables websites, tracking nine wildlife products. Ivory products accounted for more than 50 percent of identified ads.

The program shows that ads for illegal wildlife products on monitored sites fell from about 40,000 posts a month in 2012 to less than 10,000 last year.

Nevertheless, it is easy to find dozens of photos of ivory pieces for sale on sites specializing in auctions, antiques and collectables. Moreover, further investigation showed that illegal traders are shifting to a private platform, WeChat, China's most-popular social media platform.

With restricted visitor access, anonymous exchanges and the advantages of solitary payment features, WeChat has attracted many illegal dealers who previously operated through traditional websites, according to Zhou.

"Most ivory products sold online are not artworks, but factory-processed ivory beads, chopsticks, Buddhist pendants and bracelets without carvings. Most are made from smuggled tusks. They are our targets, and they account for the majority of the ivory products on the market," he said.

The ban should result in the end of the sale of ivory in the physical market and via channels such as the internet by the end the year.