Ivory Laws and Regulations
Source: AIC-Objects Specialty Group Conservation Wiki
The dramatic intersection of the ivory trade with elephant conservation efforts has resulted in an international consensus for ivory regulation, beginning in the 1970s and continuing to the present day. In 1975, the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) became the only global treaty to ensure that international trade in plants and animals does not threaten elephants’ survival in the wild. Regulation aims to protect both African (Loxodonta africana) and Asian (Elephas maximus) elephant species and sub-species. CITES provides a framework for cooperation and collaboration among nations to prevent decline in wild populations and plants. Currently 180 countries, including the U.S., implement CITES regulations. Although legally binding on the parties (countries that have voluntarily agreed to be bound by the convention), CITES regulations do not take the place of national laws. The CITES Ivory Control System focuses on ivory trade.
