14 DAY TRIAL // This November 14, the US is to destroy its national ivory stockpile. The event is bound to make headlines, which is why the African Wildlife Foundation (AWF) decided to seize the opportunity and urge that other countries also crush whatever ivory they have confiscated from poachers and traffickers over the years.
“Right now, Africa is hemorrhaging elephants. The only way to staunch the movement of illegal ivory is to wipe out the demand, and that begins with destroying stockpiles and stopping trade,” AWF CEO Patrick Bergin said.
“The stockpiles along with the legality of the ivory trade in some countries creates ambiguity and doubt, and makes law enforcement and the differentiation between legal and illegal ivory almost impossible. These conditions create the impression that ivory is a legitimate commodity to be traded, held and speculated on, and which will hold or increase in value over the long term,” he added, as cited by Live Science.
Conservationists believe that, once the world's countries all destroy their national ivory stockpiles, poachers and traffickers will finally get it through their thick skulls that killing elephants and trading their tusks is not and will never be tolerated.
Once they come to terms with this status quo, odds are they'll embrace a new career. Hopefully, they'll pick one that does not wreak havoc on the natural world.