An independent statewide survey shows that over 80 per cent of New York voters are in favour of a permanent state ban on the sale of ivory that is decimating elephants in Africa and Asia. The largest animal on land once roamed the entire span of the two continents and numbered in the millions. But in the past 50 years their numbers have plummeted so fast that some predict the magnificent creatures could disappear from the wild in little more than a decade. The National Strategy to Combat Wildlife Trafficking lays out a comprehensive approach for protecting wild elephants by helping countries to stop poaching and using diplomatic and other means to reduce demand in consuming countries.
However, it must start with a clear message that commercial ivory trade is no longer acceptable in the US and elsewhere. In 1989, the US and other nations banned commercial imports of ivory and elephant killings declined dramatically. Recently, however, loopholes and ill-advised sales of national ivory stocks reopened the door, and now criminal syndicates are flooding the market with illegal ivory, taking advantage of ambiguity. The increased global demand for ivory is driving poachers to slaughter elephants en masse for their tusks.
In January this year, New York Assemblyman Robert Sweeney introduced a bill that would make New York the first state to shut down its ivory market and increase penalties for violators. The bill is likely to come up for a vote this spring and its passage can be a big boost for protection of elephants as New York is the largest ivory market in the US, which is the second largest ivory market in the world. New York has paved the way for the US in wildlife protection before, from banning shark fin trade to placing restrictions on sales of wild birds. By shutting down its ivory market, it will provide an example for others.
