Join our fight against the Ivory Trade to save the Wild Elephant before it is too late!
Elephants are the face of Africa and many Asian nations. Can you even imagine a world without elephants? We can’t. Let’s not lose them.
Elephants by numbers
Hub of Ivory Trade
According to Care for the Wild International, elephants need all the protection they can get. The wildlife conservation group recently released a report stating that poachers slaughter between 6,000 and 12,000 elephants each year.
Officials estimate that there are 400,000 to 500,000 elephants in Africa. The group says that Sudan has become the hub of Africa's ivory trade. Researchers found that ivory gifts, such as jewelry, are openly sold on the streets of Khartoum, the capital of Sudan Esmond Martin, who conducted the study, said that most of the poachers are members of Sudan's military.
Poaching had become so widespread in the Congo River Basin, an area consisting of six African countries, that governments and wildlife organizations had to institute a massive crackdown.
Huge Market
Trading in ivory is permitted in Sudan as long as the shopkeeper has a government license. The merchants may sell only old ivory, carved before 1990. That's when an international treaty made the sale and importation of ivory illegal. However, most of the ivory sold in the bazaars is new ivory, carved after 1990. Martin said he counted more than 11,000 ivory items in 50 shops in Khartoum, where ivory is inexpensive. A ring can cost $2 and a pair of chopsticks, $13. Chinese citizens are the driving force behind the ivory trade, the report said.
About 5,000 Chinese people live and work in Sudan. They purchase about three-quarters of all ivory items in Sudan. Although the Chinese government has tried to intercept illegal ivory imports, China is the largest importer of illegal ivory. However, Sudan is not the only African nation involved in the ivory trade. Merchants and poachers from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Chad, and Kenya also do a robust business.
What can i do with my African Elephant Ivory?
In November 2013, the US Fish and Wildlife Service destroyed approximately 5.4 tonnes of confiscated ivory. In January 2014, China also destroyed some 6.1 tonnes; in February France followed suit with 3 tonnes and Chad with 1.1 tonnes; and in April Belgium destroyed 1.5 tonnes. Hong Kong started destruction of almost 30 tonnes of its stockpile in May with the incineration of about 1 tonne of ivory and in late June the Thai government said it would decide by 8 July whether to destroy its more than 5 tonnes of illegal ivory. The decision has not been announced.
Press Release :
Next Steps in Commercial Elephant Ivory Trade Ban - U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (May 15th, 2014)
Limits on Ivory Sales, Meant to Protect Elephants, Set Off Wide Concerns - NYT (March 20th, 2014)
Ivory ban fact sheet - NRA ILA Institute for legislative Action (March 5th, 2014)
In banning legal ivory sales, the administration will end up killing elephants and turning Americans into criminals - Forbes (March 17th, 2014)
Ivory Sale Ban Is Core of U.S. Anti-Trafficking Strategy - IPP Digital (February 12th, 2014)
New rules will ban import and export of ivory, and make it harder than ever to sell - The Washington Post ( February 11th, 2014)
Frequently Asked Questions :
Why is the Service taking these actions?
What are the cumulative effects if all of these administrative actions are finalized?
What is the U.S. role in the illegal elephant ivory trade?
Why not impose a complete ban on all import, export and domestic sale?
Why do you allow the import of elephant sport-hunted trophies at all?
What other types of ivory are used, and how will they be affected by these actions?
How can I tell the difference between elephant ivory and other types of ivory?
