Below are the replies I received to my original petition, which attracted over 34,250 signatures. I have replied to both programmes myself, but felt I would like to start another petition to tell the BBC that they are being irresponsible, and hope those of you who signed the first one will also sign this.
Reply from Antiques Roadshow
"Whilst we understand concerns expressed by some wildlife groups campaigning in the light of the appalling consequences of the trade in modern ivory, we are also conscious of the strong arguments made for the preservation of antique ivory, not least as objects of historical and cultural significance that provide a unique insight into previous civilisations. As this issue develops we will inform our audience about the debate in future editions of the programme. Thank you for sharing your views. This is clearly an issue that provokes strong opinions and we understand that the depiction of antique ivory is a particularly sensitive subject."
Reply from Flog It
Flog It! ensures any antique objects made from ivory that are featured on the show are legal under the CITES convention (international legislation which determines conservation law for endangered species).Flog It! reflects the reality of the auction room on screen, many of which sell antique ivory as they are considered objects of historical and cultural significance. When antique ivory is featured on the show, we make it clear we do not support the trade in modern ivory.We will continue to follow the debate surrounding this issue.
Below is a reminder of the first petition
There are many popular shows in the UK which value antiques , and sometimes sell them on behalf of the owner. They often feature items made from ivory and go to great lengths to say that because it was made before the C.I.T.E.S cut -off date of 1947 it is perfectly legal to sell, and clearly some of the often very beautiful items shown have been made many years ago so there is no suggestion thart any law is being broken
However I am asking the producers of shows like Flog It, The Antiques RoadShow to rethink their policy on featuring ivory products , as I believe it fuels the interest in them, which could lead to people who are not experts ,unwittingly purchasing modern, and therefore illegal products,being passed off as antiques.
