The Obama administration has proposed strong federal regulations to restrict the commerce of ivory products, and has also urged the four states and one district with pending ivory legislation to enact these complementary bills prohibiting the intrastate commerce of ivory.
According to Adam M. Roberts, CEO of Born Free USA, “The federal rule is strong, but it is not a complete ban, nor can it be. Commerce within states is still unregulated because the federal government does not have the power to legislate on intrastate trade. Bans in specific states mean additional disincentive to import ivory for localized sale in America.”
The proposed regulations will prohibit most interstate commerce in elephant ivory and restrict commercial exports. Specific exceptions will be granted to certain preexisting manufactured items -musical instruments, furniture, and guns which contain less than 200 grams of ivory. Antiques, at least 100 years old will receive an exemption. This action combined with limits that the FWS ( The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) released a proposed rule on July 25 to prohibit the import, export, and interstate sale of ivory in most circumstances) has already placed on imports will result in a near total ban on the commercialization of ivory across state and and national lines.
Last year, successes occurred in New York and New Jersey when they cracked down on the domestic ivory trade to ensure that their citizens do not contribute to the devastating carnage of Africa’s wildlife. In 2015, more than 20 states across the nation followed suit and filed their own bills. There are still strong bills pending in Massachusetts, California, Michigan, and Washington, D.C., and a campaign in Washington state has also secured a spot on the ballot for an ivory question.
Roberts added, “Both national and state attention is vital to save elephants from the global scourge of poaching for their ivory tusks, because neither level of government can do it alone. Even as we celebrate the announcement of such robust federal regulations cracking down on ivory sales, we must continue to urge our state legislators to carry the fight forward and end the commercialization of blood ivory within our borders, once and for all.”
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About time!