- The state of California has officially banned the sale of virtually all elephant ivory and rhino horn.
- On Sunday California governor Jerry Brown signed state assembly bill AB 96 into law.
- Owners can sell ivory and rhino horn up until July 1, 2016. After that, penalties reach up to a $50,000 fine and a year in prison.
The state of California has officially banned the sale of virtually all elephant ivory and rhino horn.
On Sunday California governor Jerry Brown signed state assembly bill AB 96 into law. AB 96 makes it illegal to sell almost all elephant ivory and rhino horn, including most antiques.
Owners can sell ivory and rhino horn up until July 1, 2016. After that, penalties reach up to a $50,000 fine and a year in prison.
The move was heralded by conservationists, including the Wildlife Conservation Society, which has led the “96 Elephants” campaign against the ivory trade.
“Now, California will play a direct role in saving elephants from the ravages of the illegal wildlife trade. The ivory issue is not something that’s only happening half a world away – there is a major ivory market right here in the U.S., and California was among its largest consumers,” said John Calvelli, WCS Executive Vice President for Public Affairs and Director of the 96 Elephants Campaign, in a statement. “The goal of 96 Elephants – named after the number of elephants gunned down each day in Africa by poachers – is to stop the killing, stop the trafficking and stop the demand. Banning the sale of ivory is a key step forward to ensure a future for elephants.”
In signing the law, California joins New York and New Jersey as states that have banned the trade. Washington may be next: Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen has funded an initiative that bans the sale of elephant ivory and rhino horn, as well as body parts from lions, tigers, cheetahs, leopards, sea turtles and sharks.