US Good News: Fights Against Wildlife Trafficking Succeeds, Declares Total Ivory Ban

The administration of President Obama together with the U.S. Fisheries and Wildlife Service enforce regulations to ban all commercial trade of African elephant ivory across the nation. It is announced on Thursday and will take effect on July 6, 2016.

Sarah Uhlemann, an international program director at the Center for Biological University said that they are excited that the Obama administration has taken this significant step to reduce the domestic trade in ivory. She further said that the United States has one of the leading markets for ivory in the world and decreasing demand here will go a long way toward saving elephants in Africa.

US Adopts Near Total Ban on African Elephant Ivory Sales
The federal government will enact...https://t.co/xIywq9ApHd pic.twitter.com/kc4JCRbdcC

— NoAnimalPoaching! (@NoAnimalPoachin) June 2, 2016

The new rules states restrict exports and sales across the state line and limiting ivory trophy imports to two per year, per hunter. With the past regulations, the ivory trophy imports are unlimited, according to National Geographic.

In a 2010 report, China is the largest consumer for ivory. Meanwhile, in a 2008 study, it showed that the United States is the second largest consumer. The poachers exterminate about 30,000 elephants a year in order to meet the demand for ivory globally. The experts said that about 96 elephants are killed daily, according to Ecowatch.

The US just adopted a near total ban on the commercial ivory trade https://t.co/olUOlxt4E0 pic.twitter.com/qbTtJVz0FC — Greenpeace (@Greenpeace) June 2, 2016

Sec. Of the Interior Sally Jewell, a co-chair of the President's task Force on Wildlife Trafficking, said that today's bold action underscores the United States' leadership and commitment to ending the curse of elephant poaching and the tragic impact it's having on wild populations. She added that they hope other nations will act quickly and decisively to stop the flow of blood ivory by instigating similar regulations, which are crucial to ensuring the grandchildren and their grandchildren know these species.