US Act on Curbing Illegal Wildlife Trade

February 12, 2014 – WASHINGTON – A comprehensive strategy for curbing illegal wildlife trade and combating wildlife trafficking has been unveiled by the Obama administration in hopes of curbing illicit poaching that is threatening to wipe out elephants, rhinoceros and other endangered species in Africa. A document was issued stating an almost complete ban on the ivory trade in the United States.

Representatives of many African countries are meeting in London with world’s leading conservationists to discuss on stopping the illegal sale of ivory. As a symbolic gesture, a large pile of ivory was crushed in central London. A major summit is scheduled this week which aimed at curbing the illegal wildlife trade.

Rowena Paxton, who gave away their ivory items to be crushed, said, “I feel like a big weight has been taken off me and I'm now to say goodbye and I just say please, please save our elephants, save our rhino”. In the year 1989, a ban outlawed the internation trade in ivory, but cross border smuggling continues.

According to estimation by conservationists, more than 25,000 elephants are getting killed across Africa each year to extract their tusks for ivory. Sebastian Tiran, French customs official said that every year half ton of ivory is getting seized by France. Tiran added that the trafficking of the protected species depends on the interest of the consumers for ivory.

Experts suggest to reduce the demand in order to curb the illegal ivory trade. China is blamed to be the large market for illegal ivory trade, but Chinese people say that it’s not like before, people protests against the practice in China. The Chinese country has cracked down on the smugglers and joined the other countries such as United States, France, Britain and others to destroy illegal ivory stockpiles.

Conservationists say that Africa's elephant population has dwindled from millions to about 500,000, and that nearly 10 percent are being slaughtered each year.  They warn that only tough action can save the elephants from extinction.