The study forms part of the academic research conducted by the University of Portsmouth into the UK trade in ivory works of art and the impact that a ban, or further regulation, would have.
Caroline Cox, a socio-legal academic at Portsmouth University, said the project had been inspired by the 2014 case of Chiswick Auctions (fined £3200 for selling a 1960s carved ivory tusk) and the disparate ways similar transgressions are treated in other parts of Europe.
She said: “Dealers have told us about the detrimental impact on their businesses of the changes to US law and now France is talking about following suit.
“The antiques industry as whole is worth billions of pounds a year to the Exchequer and the loss of revenue could be both disastrous for the dealer but also economically costly for the UK economy.
“However, it is not just about money. The potential loss of cultural items from a ban would be devastating.”
The Portsmouth project was launched at Portcullis House in Westminster in November when Mark Dodgson, secretary general of BADA, and Rebecca Davies, chief executive of LAPADA, gave an impassioned defence of their members and argued that the ivory ‘problem’ lay outside the legitimate antiques trade.
The questionnaire, which should take around 15 minutes to complete, will be open until Sunday, July 17.
Visit surveymonkey.co.uk/r/ivoryproject
