Obama Announces Major Restrictions on Ivory Trade

[n2doc]

Source: Time

President Obama announced sweeping new measures to stem the ivory trade on Saturday, including a ban on the interstate sale of most ivory in the U.S. and new restrictions on when the material can be exported. When implemented, the rule would result in a near total ban on the ivory trade in the U.S.

“We’re proposing a new rule that bans the sale of virtually all ivory across state lines,” Obama said at a press conference in Kenya.

Existing U.S. ivory regulations mostly concern the import and export of the material from the country, while allowing some legal trade of the material between states. The new regulation, which will be finalized later this year, would restrict interstate trade to antique items that are over 100 years old or contain a minimal amount of ivory. The proposed rule also contains new restrictions on the international trade.

Prior to the Saturday’s announcement, many animal conservationists had argued that allowing some legal ivory trade provided a cover for criminals who were actually selling illegal ivory. In a 2009 investigation, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service officials seized more than a ton of ivory from a Philadelphia art store that had been manipulated to appear old enough to meet federal standards. Ivory from that seizure was destroyed at a “ivory crush” event in Times Square last month.


Read more: http://time.com/3972237/obama-ivory-trade-restrictions/?

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[villager]

1. Good!

A vastly overdue move from the U.S.

[bucolic_frolic]

2. Hope it works

Stamping out black market trade in anything has proven a difficult
target for governments.

[forest444]

3. Good for him - but it won't mean a hill of beans if the TPP is ever enacted.

Some Asian-based ivory poacher will simply sue to have the ban lifted on the grounds of "the loss of potential future profits." It would go to one of these kangaroo court tribunals, and the ban would be struck down.

[restorefreedom]

7. another way the tpp

screws animals as well as humans

[Gothmog]

4. This is an important move to protect elephants

[TheFarseer]

5. but

How will superstitious Chinese people get their weiners hard?

[BeanMusical]

6. Kick and R

[INdemo]

8. While he is at it he should restrict foreign steel imports too !

[WHEN CRABS ROAR]

9. 500,000 African Elephants left, 50,000 killed every year.

Do the math.