Urge the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to finalize an ivory rule with teeth

On July 29, The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) proposed new rules to limit the ivory trade in the United States. These regulations are the biggest step the U.S. has taken to protect elephants, and will also help to set the standard for other countries — if they aren't weakened by special interest groups before they are finalized.

The proposed rules tighten several longstanding loopholes that have allowed the illicit trafficking of elephant parts to thrive. They also reduce the number of sport-hunted elephant trophies allowed into the U.S.

Members of the public have 60 days to review these rules and weigh in, before they are finalized and put into effect. The USFWS will hear from many groups, including those who mistakenly believe that the regulations are not necessary, or even harmful. We need to show the world that we support these rules, and we can even tell the USFWS to strengthen them by fully stopping elephant trophy imports, and by closing the remaining loopholes even further.

Now is your chance to make your voice heard for elephants. Let the USFWS know that strong rules are essential to reducing the U.S.'s role in the ivory trade.

Sign the petition today and help protect elephants by letting the federal government know that you value these amazing animals as living, breathing creatures more than useless trinkets.
Subject: We can do even more to protect African elephants

Dear Director Ashe,

Thank you for taking action to help protect elephants.

As you know, the illegal ivory trade is devastating African elephant populations.

35,000 elephants are slaughtered every year — that's one every 15 minutes — and there are no signs of the massacre slowing down. Rising demand in China for ivory is main culprit, but the U.S., the second largest market for wildlife products in the world, is also to blame.

Illegal ivory imports and exports continue to pose problems for law enforcement, and investigations of ivory markets, both physical and online, have found thousands of undocumented and ostensibly illegal ivory items for sale in the United States. The proposed regulations will help reduce elephant poaching by tightening the loopholes that allowed these sales to flourish, but we have an opportunity to finalize even better rules that would do more to protect elephants by eliminating consumer confusion over what is legal and what is not.

In particular, FWS must clarify and strengthen the requirements for intrastate trade of ivory. Under this proposed rule and existing law, interstate trade would be restricted more stringently than intrastate trade, but as a practical matter, sellers and consumers may not be aware of (or may choose to ignore) the higher standards for purchases that cross state lines. While I understand that the Service has limited authority to regulate intrastate trade, you can and should implement a rigorous and clearly-defined method for documenting the age and provenance of any exempted ivory products, so that sellers and consumers understand their duties under the law.

Second, any rules for ivory should apply to other elephant parts and products including hides and hair.

Third, I am glad to see your proposal to reduce trophy imports, but even one dead elephant is too many. The arguments in favor of this blood sport are based on unsound science and faulty economic theory, and trophy hunting sends the message that wealthy Americans should be allowed to kill animals even though poachers should not. I urge you to eliminate the exemption for trophy imports entirely.

An issue that may not technically fall under this proposal, but is nonetheless important to address, is the matter of "lookalike" materials. It is likely that some sellers will attempt to pass off elephant ivory products as mammoth ivory (which is unregulated at the federal level) or a similar substance. I suggest that law enforcement officers pay close attention to such products when conducting any ivory inspections or operations in the future.

Poll after poll shows a huge majority of American citizens support shutting down our domestic ivory trade. The time for loopholes is over. The Service needs to show poachers, dealers, and smugglers that the U.S. is ready to end its role in the massacre of elephants, and that we value living breathing creatures more than useless trinkets.

[Your Comment]

We cannot set an example for other countries if we are not willing to act decisively here at home. I strongly commend your effort to tighten the remaining loopholes, and urge you to finalize the strongest possible regulations on ivory trade in the U.S.

Sincerely,

[Your Name]
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