Business

US to crack down on ivory to protect elephants

By Josh Lederman
Published February 11, 2014 10:40pm ET
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US to crack down on ivory to protect elephants
FILE - This Nov. 14, 2013 file photo shows confiscated decorative ivory piled together in preparation to be destroyed during an event at the National Wildlife Property Repository at Rocky Mountain Arsenal National Wildlife Refuge in Commerce City, Colo. The US is cracking down on the sale and purchase of ivory in hopes of curbing illicit poaching that's threatening to wipe out elephants and other species in Africa. The ivory ban is a key component of a new, national strategy for combating wildlife trafficking, unveiled Tuesday by the White House, seven months after President Barack Obama issued a call to action during a visit to Tanzania. In addition to the ivory ban, the U.S. will seek to strengthen global enforcement and international cooperation to fight an illicit trade estimated to total about $10 billion per year. (AP Photo/Brennan Linsley, File) | Brennan Linsley

WASHINGTON (AP) — The United States is cracking down on the sale and purchase of ivory in hopes of curbing a surge in illicit poaching that’s threatening to wipe out elephants and other species in Africa.

The ivory ban is a key component of a new, national strategy for combating wildlife trafficking, unveiled Tuesday by the White House, seven months after President Barack Obama issued a call to action during a visit to Tanzania. In addition, the U.S. will seek to strengthen global enforcement and international cooperation to fight an illicit trade estimated to total about $10 billion per year.

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