The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is scheduled to crush six tons of illegally confiscated ivory on November 14, 2013 at the Rocky Mountain Arsenal Wildlife Refuge in Commerce City, CO.
Statement by Don Barry, senior vice president of conservation policy
“The crushing of six tons of illegally trafficked ivory sends a pointed message that the U.S. is serious about protecting elephants from extinction. By destroying the ivory stockpiles and encouraging other countries to do the same, we will ensure that it never enters the black market again. But we need to take additional steps to not just crush illegal ivory but crush the market as well. The fact that we have six tons of illegally imported ivory to crush shows how big a black market the United States has been. Placing a moratorium on all ivory trade in the United States should be the next step to ensure that our country has done all it can to help end the terrible massacre of elephants.”
Defenders of Wildlife is celebrating 75 years of protecting all native animals and plants in their natural communities. With a nationwide network of nearly 2.2 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 defenders.org/newsroom and follow us on Twitter @Defenders.
