This is wonderful news for those concerned about elephants, rhinos and big cats being poached for their ivory. President Obama has just tightened the restrictions on the ivory trade. Just this week, he announced new legislation which would prevent the interstate sale of most ivory in the U.S. and more restrictions on the export of ivory. At a press conference in Kenya, Obama said, “We’re proposing a new rule that bans the sale of virtually all ivory across state lines.”
Some ivory, such as antique, made the cut though for being sold though. “The act identifies an antique as an item that is 100 years or older, that is partly or entirely composed of a species listed under the act, and that has not been repaired or modified with any such species after Dec. 27, 1973. It also must have been imported through one of 13 specific antique ports within the United States.” according to the NY Times.
John Calvelli, the executive Vice-President of the Wildlife Conservation Society was elated about the legislation. He maintained, “What we need is to send a message to traffickers that this is unacceptable, that you cannot get away with this. On many levels, this is a way to show our solidarity with folks around the world.”
Click here to learn more about this great step to protect endangered species. What do you think about this legislation? Coment below.
