Hong Kong Wildlife Trafficking Assessment

While ivory alone accounted for over 30% of known instances, the annual total weight seized declined precipitously—from over 600 kg in 2015 to approximately 300 kg in 2016 and 2017 to under 5 kg in 2019. Eighty percent of ivory shipments seized along Hong Kong air routes consisted of worked product, and the most common origin countries for these shipments were Zimbabwe and Nigeria. Known Hong Kong air trafficking instances involving rhino horn primarily originated in South Africa and Mozambique and were transported in checked luggage. By contrast, instances involving marine species (which included dried seahorse, totoaba bladder, and shark fin) were most commonly transported through air freight. The origin countries for marine species shipments reflect a truly global supply chain—top countries included Spain, Mexico, South Africa, and Angola.