(Pictured: Sharon with Sgt Rowan Healey of the Metropolitan Police Wildlife Crime Unit)

Sharon has shown her support for elephants by backing the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW)'s ivory surrender.

Sharon attended IFAW's campaign launch at the House of Commons and posed with huge elephant tusks. She is calling on members of the public to send in any unwanted items of ivory they may have to IFAW to ensure they do not end up back on the commercial market, and to highlight the illegal ivory trade.

Research by polling company Ipsos MORI shows that nearly half of adults in the North East are unaware that elephants have to die before their ivory can be obtained, while almost four million British residents are owners of ivory.

The global illegal trade in wildlife is estimated to be worth £12 billion annually, second only to the illicit trade in drugs and arms. Ivory forms a significant part of this. Seizures of illegal ivory are skyrocketing and recent stockpile sales to Japan and China sent a signal to poachers that it is open season on elephants.

Sharon said: "Poachers cause unspeakable pain to elephants just to obtain something to make trinkets from - it's really sad that in the 21st century people are still getting rich off the back of this suffering.

"So I am pleased to be backing the ivory surrender, and urge my constituents to send in unwanted items of ivory to IFAW and back their campaign for greater protection for elephants."

Robbie Marsland, Director of IFAW UK, said: "Every piece of ivory represents a dead elephant. We are therefore very grateful to Sharon for showing her commitment to elephant protection. That is why we are holding a UK-wide ivory surrender to help raise awareness of the threats facing elephants and to encourage the UK Government to push its pledge to press for a ban of ivory sales internationally."

Anyone who would like to donate ivory to the surrender can email ivory@ifaw.org or call 020 7587 6709. Further information about the campaign can be found at www.ifaw.org/ivory

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Sharon Hodgson MP
House of Commons,
London SW1A 0AA

E-mail: hodgsons@parliament.uk

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