US Unveils National Strategy for Combating Wildlife Trafficking

The United States has unveiled its National Strategy for Combating Wildlife Trafficking, which includes a ban on commercial trade in elephant ivory for the first time. The strategy establishes guiding principles for U.S. efforts to stem the illegal trade in wildlife.

The U.S. is taking concrete measures to ensure that is does not contribute to the decline of African elephants.

The strategy has three strategic priorities:

1. Strengthening domestic and global enforcement;

2. Reducing demand for illegally traded wildlife at home and abroad;

3. Building international cooperation, commitment, and public-private partnerships.

President Barack Obama states in the newly released strategy document: "Well-armed, well-equipped, and well-organized networks of criminals and corrupt officials exploit porous borders and weak institutions to profit from trading in poached wildlife. This is a global challenge requiring global solutions.”

Regarding ivory, not only is the U.S. tightening loopholes concerning the trade in antiques and sport hunting, but a previous Fish and Wildlife Service special rule that had relaxed Endangered Species Act restrictions on the African elephant ivory trade will be revoked.

The key points are:

• All commercial imports of African elephant ivory, including antiques, will be prohibited. Commercial exports will be prohibited, with very few exceptions. (In the case of "exceptions” - bona fide antiques, certain non-commercial items, and in exceptional circumstances permitted under the Endangered Species Act - it is now the responsibility of the importer, exporter, or seller to demonstrate that an item meets these criteria. To qualify as an "antique”, an ivory item must be more than 100 years old and meet certain other Endangered Species Act requirements — and it is now the responsibility of the importer, exporter, or seller to demonstrate that an item meets these criteria.)
• The domestic resale of elephant ivory will be significantly restricted. Sales across state lines will be prohibited (except for bona fide antiques). Sales within a state will be prohibited "unless the seller can demonstrate an item was lawfully imported prior to 1990 for African elephants and 1975 for Asian elephants, or under an exemption document.”
• Trophy hunting of African elephants will be limited to two per year, per individual.

In recent months, the U.S. has made a number of advancements on the war on wildlife trafficking:

• July 1, 2013: President Obama issues an Executive Order which includes a $10 million pledge to improve protection for threatened wildlife populations in key African countries, a Presidential Task Force on wildlife trafficking to develop a national strategy within six months to fight wildlife crime, and a review of the federal government’s Transnational Organized Crime Strategy to consider adding wildlife trafficking to the list of crimes it covers, elevating it to the same level as arms, drug and human trafficking.
• September 9, 2013: Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell named members of a new Federal Advisory Council on wildlife trafficking. The council will advise the Secretary and members of the Presidential Task Force on wildlife trafficking.
• November 15, 2013: The U.S. destroyed its six-ton stockpile of confiscated ivory, and has since been followed by mainland China and France, with Hong Kong pledging to rid itself of 30 tons of its 36-ton confiscated ivory stockpile.