US clamps down on tusk trade

Today, the U.S. government announced it will clamp down on the ivory trade, effectively halting commercial sales in response to global poaching concerns.

Below is a Department of the Interior explained on the ban:

The ban will impose new restrictions on the import, export, and commercial sale of elephant ivory withinthe United States,withsome limited exceptions. The limited exceptions include a narrow class of antiques that are exempt from regulationunder the EndangeredSpecies Act; and items imported for commercial purposesbefore international commercial trade in these species wasprohibitedunder the Conventionon International Trade in EndangeredSpeciesof Wild Fauna and Flora.

Anyone proposing to sell elephant ivory or rhino hornwould be responsible to document that they are exempt.The Service expects this to be a small fraction of the current domestictrade.

Anyone who currently owns legally obtained ivory may keep it.

The Service will:

Prohibit Commercial Import of African Elephant Ivory: All commercial imports of African elephant ivory,includingantiques,willbe prohibited.

Prohibit Commercial Export of Elephant Ivory: All commercial exports will be prohibited, except for bona fide antiques,certainnoncommercial items, and in exceptional circumstancespermitted under the Endangered Species Act.

Significantly Restrict Domestic Resale of Elephant Ivory: We will finalize a proposed rule that will reaffirm and clarify that salesacrossstate linesare prohibited, except for bona fide antiques,and willprohibit saleswithina state unless the seller can demonstrate anitem waslawfully importedprior to 1990 for African elephantsand 1975for Asian elephants,or under an exemption document.

Clarify the Definition of “Antique”: To qualify as an antique,anitem must be more than 100 years old and meetotherrequirementsunder the Endangered Species Act. The onus will now fall on the importer, exporter, or seller to demonstrate that an item meets these criteria.

Restore Endangered Species Act Protection for African Elephants: We will revoke a previous Fish and Wildlife Service special rule that had relaxed Endangered Species Act restrictions on African elephant ivory trade.

Support Limited Sport-hunting of African Elephants: We will limit the number of African elephant sport-hunted trophies that an individualcan import to two per hunter per year.