The world’s biggest consumer of illegal Elephant Ivory took a major step in sending a message to its and international smugglers – that China is no longer willing to tolerate the ivory trade, which is responsible for decimating elephant populations in Africa.

More than six tons of carvings, ornaments, and tusks that have been seized by the Chinese government over the years were fed into crushing machines.  China says the move aims “to discourage illegal ivory trade, protect wildlife and raise public awareness.”  It’s the first time China had taken such an action involving contraband ivory.

And public awareness is a major problem with China’s emerging middle class that forms the consumer base for illegally imported ivory, taken from elephants killed by poaching gangs in Africa.  Many Chinese are simply unaware that the elephants are killed in the process of taking their ivory.

Zhao Shucong, director of the State Forestry Administration, admits that ivory smuggling is “still raging.”  And he says China is “in urgent need of sincere collaboration with different countries and international organizations” to support elephant conservation.

2013’s rapid decline in African elephant populations brought a new urgency among nations to fight against ivory smuggling.