Full Title Name:  Brief Summary of Elephants and the Ivory Trade

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Ann Linder Place of Publication:  Michigan State University College of Law Publish Year:  2016 Primary Citation:  Animal Legal & Historical Center 0 Country of Origin:  United States
Summary: This paper will examine the global ivory trade and its effect of elephant populations. It begins with a historical discussion of ivory demand as well as the relationship between elephants and ivory. The paper then looks at poaching rates over time and the poaching industry generally. Next, the paper considers two competing approaches to elephant conservation and catalogues how they have informed CITES decisions regarding elephants beginning in 1975. In addition, it discusses relevant laws in ivory-producing nations and consuming nations. Finally, the paper examines U.S. laws regarding elephants and ivory, as well as legal challenges to those policies.

Ivory, which comes from elephant tusks, is considered very valuable. Because of the high price of ivory, poachers illegally kill elephants so that they can take their tusks and sell them. Tens of thousands of elephants are killed each year for their tusks, and as a result, elephant populations have declined rapidly.

The highest demand for ivory is in China, where tusks are carved into sculptures or used in other products. Many Chinese consider ivory a symbol of luck, wealth, and status. Other countries including the U.S. also have illegal ivory markets. CITES, the international body that governs endangered species, currently prohibits ivory trade because of the risks it poses to elephant conservation. Some African countries oppose this trade ban, while others, like Kenya, support it. In the United States, trading in ivory is prohibited with only a few exceptions. Federal laws and state laws restrict ivory sales.

Many African nations that are home to elephants suffer from other problems such as poverty and political corruption. As a result, the elephant conservation movement has focused on reducing demand in countries that purchase ivory. The long-term survival of the species is dependent upon international cooperative and effective enforcement.  If the ivory trade continues at its current rate, elephants may be faced with extinction. 

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