Contact: Haley McKey, 202-772-0247, hmckey@defenders.org

Washington (July 25, 2015)– Today in Kenya President Obama announced that the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) will propose new regulations designed to shut down the importation and sale of illegal ivory within the United States. The United States is the world’s second largest market for poached and smuggled ivory and the new restrictions are designed to keep illegal ivory from blending in with legal commerce.

The following is a statement from Former Defenders of Wildlife President and CEO Jamie Rappaport Clark:

“African elephants are being slaughtered at a stunning rate by poachers feeding a worldwide black market for ivory. Tragically, the United States is the second largest market for this illegal trade. With the publication of these proposed regulations on ivory, the Administration and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service have just taken a major step forward in cracking down on the sale of smuggled illegal ivory within this country. Defenders applauds this effort and will work closely with FWS to secure tough new restrictions on the sale of ivory. Ivory belongs to elephants and not on black market shelves.”

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Defenders of Wildlife is dedicated to the protection of all native animals and plants in their natural communities. With more than 1.2 million members and activists, Defenders of Wildlife is a leading advocate for innovative solutions to safeguard our wildlife heritage for generations to come. For more information, visit www.defenders.org.

For nearly 80 years, Defenders of Wildlife has worked to protect and restore America’s wildlife at risk of extinction, advancing a vision of a future in which wildlife thrives, sustained by broad public support and a resilient network of healthy lands and waters. With a network of more than 2 million supporters, Defenders is an advocate for innovative solutions to safeguard wildlife for generations to come. To learn more, please visit https://defenders.org/newsroom or follow us on Instagram @defendersofwildlife.  

 

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