Since the 2016 law went into effect, stricter regulations at the state and federal levels have prompted many traders, including real estate sales companies, to abandon the ivory trade altogether. Terrorism and National Security: The illegal ivory trade funds terrorism and directly funds al-Qaeda al-Shabaab, the Lord`s Resistance Army, the Janjaweed, Boko Haram and other terrorist organizations. One of the main stated objectives of the law is to « reduce the sale, including interstate and domestic sales (i.e. intra-state sales) of elephant ivory. » Please call, write, email, or use social media to contact your state representative to request their support for HB248: Your message can be short and simple: « I am a voter – please support the Dean`s Representative legislation to end the ivory trade in PA! » Some states ban the sale of ivory altogether, so depending on where you live, you may not even be able to sell it. The United States is the second largest consumer of ivory after China. Representatives Madeleine Dean and Tarah Tohill introduced bipartisan legislation that prohibits the importation of ivory and rhino horn into Pennsylvania in addition to sale, barter and possession with intent to sell. The Judiciary Committee will hold a hearing on February 24. The ban on the sale of ivory also combats a violent and illegal wildlife trading industry that funds terrorism. The ivory trade puts money in the hands of terrorist groups such as Al-Shabaab, Boko Haram, Janjaweed and the Lord`s Resistance Army, which use profits from elephant slaughter to buy weapons and terrorize innocent victims. In the past, millions of elephants roamed Africa; Today, only a few hundred thousand remain, slaughtered every day at the rate of 96 to cover the global consumption of useless ivory products. If you have any doubts or are in a gray area, do not sell the item.
In this age where everyone is watching everyone, be careful by doing your due diligence first and then making an informed decision. Said Julie Hall of ASEL, American Society of Estate Liquidators. 6. In July 2016, a near-total ban on trade in African and Asian elephant ivory came into effect in the United States. But there are some exceptions. In 1975, CITES decided to prevent international trade in Asian elephant ivory; also for African elephant ivory in 1990. These decisions are reviewed regularly, based on the current population. In some cases, some stocks of ivory harvested before the ban have been allowed on the international market. New federal and state regulations are making it harder than ever to sell ivory.
Buyers and sellers have the burden of proving that ivory belongs to the new, narrowly defined class of legal ivory. There are different criteria for selling African and Asian elephant ivory under U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service laws. We can help you determine which type you own and if it meets the strict, multi-part definition of « old. » We help you meet federal and state government requirements. The measures are ongoing. Learn more and sign the petition on ivoryfreecolorado.org. When the ban was first announced, it left antique dealers and auction houses in a difficult position! Many of them don`t have proof of age to meet the requirements, and certified dating tests are expensive, making it virtually impossible to liquidate all the ivory items they had on their shelves. We must, we can and we will ban the sale of ivory to save elephants from extinction! « The global trade in elephant ivory and rhino horn is flourishing, fueled by the slaughter of approximately 35,000 elephants a year and aided by the sale and purchase of ivory and rhino products here, » said New Jersey Senator Raymond Lesniak, who last year banned the sale of ivory and rhino horn in the Garden State. He also led the second annual International Elephant March at the White House from the Lincoln Memorial on October 4, 2014. If your state allows the sale of ivory, you must now ensure that you comply with federal law and that you are prepared to provide the required documents to justify its sale in your state if asked. Therefore, state-level action is essential to end the ongoing ivory trade in the United States.
The states of New Jersey and New York took steps last year to close the loopholes and ensure they were not involved in the infamous ivory and rhino horn trade. They made a powerful statement to the nation and the world that terrorism and eradication are not an option. The ivory bans sweeping the country come at a critical time for elephant populations around the world. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service reports that elephants poach faster than they can reproduce. While about 20 states are taking steps to end the ivory trade in their states, some are more advanced in this process than others. Some of them have important hearings this week. Live Auctioneers is one of the few online platforms where you still see ivory items, but auctioneers who use the platform to sell the items sign an agreement that they cannot offer for sale through the platform any product of an animal species protected as endangered or threatened under current legislation, national or local.
It`s best to find out about regulations in your area, but many companies prefer to stay away, let customers know they can`t sell ivory, and leave it up to the customer to decide what to do. For information, DNA testing may be the best way to differentiate between African and Asian ivory. But just by looking at it, African ivory usually doesn`t have the pink hue found in Asian ivory. Asian ivory grain traces also have sharper tips, and they zigzag a little more. Julie Hall also said: « ASEL sometimes receives complaints about executors, one of whom has offered a leopard coat or ivory piece for sale. It shows that the audience is watching. The good news is that we did some research and it was a fake coat and a plastic figurine. It`s best to let the customer know what you know and have no connection with them. If you are allowed to sell ivory in your state or if you qualify for exemption for interstate sales, you do not need a permit from the U.S.
Fish and Wildlife Service to sell it. « I am very encouraged that states across the country – from California to Vermont and Massachusetts to Iowa – are taking the necessary steps to ban the sale of domestic ivory and rhino horn, following our example in New Jersey, » Senator Lesniak said. We have a duty to treat all animals – as God`s creatures – with care wherever they roam the earth – and certainly not to contribute to its extinction. Let us move forward for a more humane nation. The de minimis exception applies only to African elephant ivory, not Asian elephant ivory. These are items that contain a small (minor) amount of African elephant ivory. Hawaii has the third largest market for illegal ivory in the United States. Support for an ivory ban is strong, but opposition is also strong. For more information on ongoing efforts to end the ivory trade in Hawaii, click here. Remember, even though federal law does not prohibit giving or giving ivory items, local and state laws could! Make sure and check with your local state for their specific requirements for donating or donating ivory items.
However, the president`s national strategy will remain limited to ending the entire ivory trade in the United States until federal lawmakers pass laws strictly banning all ivory imports, exports, and sales. And too often, federal lawmakers act slowly. In addition, the president`s rules do not address ivory trade within state borders. This leaves open loopholes that only states can fill. Richard Gontarek, 55, has already pleaded guilty before US Judge Michael A. Hammer appeared in federal court in Newark to obtain information charging him with two counts of violating the Lacey Act by selling to a buyer in Pennsylvania sperm whale ivory sculptures that Gontarek should have known were possessed in violation of New Jersey state law, according to information from U.S. Attorney Philip R.