In February, we were honoured to be part of the official unveiling and sponsorship of artists Gillie and Marc’s compelling sculpture The Last Two on the St Kilda foreshore. The life-size sculpture depicts the final two remaining Northern White Rhinos in the wild and Leonard Joel’s sponsorship of this permanent sculpture marks our first centenary activity for 2019. Our ongoing campaign to end the auction trade in ivory did not end there. Later that month I travelled to Brussels, with the support of The International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) Brussels Office, and met with MEP Catherine Bearder and her team to present our voluntary cessation policy and a formal document outlining Leonard Joel’s case for a complete ban on the auction and antiques trade in these materials. The European Union is still considering its position on this serious conservation issue and its undeniable relationship to the auction and antiques trade, and it is Leonard Joel’s hope that the EU follows the United Kingdom’s lead and implements a total ban.
JOHN ALBRECHT