Prince William expresses his deepest concern about illegal ivory trading in a charity event.
In a keynote speech beamed simultaneously around the world, the future king said he feared that "we will not know what we have lost until it is gone".
The Duke of Cambridge was speaking at the Time for Change event organised by Tusk Trust, the wildlife charity of which he is patron.
His plea came after the Government announced it is to curb the illegal trade in ivory, with plans to ban sales if there is no proof of a piece’s age.
Prince William spoke during an address from The Shard that was broadcast live to audiences in Johannesburg and Tokyo via satellite link-up.
In it he said: "I am not prepared to be part of a generation that lets these iconic species disappear from the wild. I am not prepared to explain to our children why we lost this battle when we had the tools to win it.
"And I know that none of you in Tokyo, Johannesburg or here in London want this either. I fear we will not know what we have lost till it has gone."
The Prince went on: "By the time my daughter Charlotte was born last year, the numbers of savannah elephants had crashed to just 350,000.
"And at the current pace of illegal poaching, when Charlotte turns 25 the African elephant will be gone from the wild. We have the chance to seize a huge opportunity.
"We have the opportunity to end, once and for all, the mixed messages we have sent for too long about the value and desirability of wildlife products.
"We have the chance to say that ivory is a symbol of destruction, not of luxury, and not something that anyone needs to buy or sell." Beside the Prince as he spoke was Andrea Leadsom, the Environment Secretary.
On average, an elephant is killed every 15 minutes for its ivory. The species’ population has fallen by almost a third in Africa since 2007.
At present a loophole allows sell- ers to claim an item of ivory is sufficiently old without requiring documentary evidence.
In the future, dealers who cannot prove an ornament’s age could see it confiscated or destroyed.
It is illegal to sell ivory from post-1947. Ministers are set to announce that items will be destroyed or confiscated if there is no documentary proof of age.
Prince William has previously indicated his support for a ban on domestic ivory sales, arguing that the "root of the illegal wildlife trade is the demand for products that require the deaths of tens of thousands of these animals every year, pushing them further towards extinction".
His call for action comes ahead of the opening of the CITES conference, when the world’s attention will be focused on tackling the burgeoning illegal trade in wildlife.
While William scrupulously avoided directly criticising the Government, there was an implicit plea for it to take the lead.
At last year’s general election, the Conservatives promised action to ban all ivory sales, although this pledge has as yet not been implemented. The proposal has been criticised by antique dealers, who say it will put them out of business.
But senior Tory figures, including ex-foreign secretary Lord Hague and former environment secretary Owen Paterson, have demanded ministers act urgently to fulfil their election vow.
A ban has been introduced on the international trade but it is still legal to buy and sell ivory inside the UK.
The Time for Change event was seeking to ensure that the momentum gained in tackling the illegal wildlife trade is stepped up.
The event urges the international community including consumers not to become complacent at such a critical moment for many of the world’s most iconic species.
Other speakers at the event will include the secretary-general of CITES, John Scanlon, who will speak from Johannesburg, where the international conference will take place.
The Japanese philanthropist Dr Haruhisa Handa will address Time for Change from Tokyo and will discuss the importance of Asian leadership in conservation.
The three speakers were introduced from London by the television presenter and environmental campaigner Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall.
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