Ivory Domestic Trade Ban Agreed

After days of tense negotiations, nations and environmental groups called for an end to domestic ivory trading as the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) congress wrapped up in Hawaii on Saturday.

Nearly all of the 217 nation states that belong to the IUCN, as well as 1,000 environmental groups, backed a statement calling for countries to end ivory trading within their borders as “a matter of urgency,” according to the Guardian.

Beyond poaching for ivory, elephants face increasing pressure from both land use changes and climate change. Development can cut off crucial migration paths for elephants, cutting them off from sources of food and bringing them into closer contact with human populations.

Elephants are also sensitive to temperature changes, placing them particularly at risk from climate change — a World Wildlife Fund assessment found that climate change could make elephants more susceptible to disease, as well as make it more challenging for the animals to find fresh water. A 2013 study published in Ecology also found that deviation from their ideal heat range (around 75 degrees Farenheit) also has a negative impact on the health of Asian elephants, making them more susceptible to heat stroke and disease.

https://thinkprogress.org/ivory-domestic-trade-ban-international-a79100276316#.co9x6l80n

Alex Coles

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