Great news for those of us who support the ban on the sale of ivory. Governor Jerry Brown of California just signed into law a statewide ban (AB 96) on the sale of ivory and rhino horn. The sale of ivory has been banned in California, but the new law extends to older pieces dating back to 1977 and before. In addition, there is now a provision for rhino horn as well. California joins New York and New Jersey that already have a sweeping ivory ban in place. However, the law makes an exception for ivory that is part of musical instruments or antiques over 100 years old.
African elephants, whose tusks are used to produce ivory, are nearly extinct because of the ivory trade. Poachers slaughter an average of 96 elephants per day, totaling over 100,000 in the past three years. And rhinos are being killed at a rate of over 1,000 per year. Only 25,ooo black and white African rhinos remain in Africa, and they could be extinct in 12 years! You can track poaching incidents occurring in Africa here. It is truly alarming.
Hopefully, this ban will severly hinder the sale of ivory and rhino horn in California. Los Angeles and San Francisco are the two hotspots in the state with the highest ivory sales. In SF’s Chinatown alone, it is estimated that 80% of the ivory sold was illegal. But now with this new ban, the hope is that the demand will be reduced and it will be easier to control.
Click here to congratulate Governor Brown on this landmark decision to protect African Wildlife. Do you agree with the ivory ban? Comment below!
