PhotoWASHINGTON — The United States Fish and Wildlife Service announced a near-total ban on the commercial trade of African elephant ivory on Thursday. “That large fog of legal trade that has been concealing the illegal trade of ivory that continues to this day” will be removed, Mr. Ashe said. The new rules aim to curb the rampant slaughter of the endangered species, which experts say accounts for 96 elephant deaths a day, and severely restrict the African ivory market in the United States, the world’s second-largest consumer of illegally poached ivory. Under current guidelines, ivory can be sold if it was brought into the United States before it was listed as endangered or if the elephant died of natural causes, as long as there is documentation. The next phase of the fight against ivory poaching will happen next week, when a delegation from the United States goes to Beijing for a round of strategic and economic talks with Chinese officials, who have also agreed to further restrictions on the ivory trade.

Source: New York Times June 02, 2016 13:01 UTC