WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Chris Coons (D-Del.), a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, today applauded the Obama Administration’s decision to institute a near-total ban on the domestic commercial trade of African elephant ivory. The rule, which fulfills restrictions outlined under President Obama's 2013 Executive Order on Combating Wildlife Trafficking, substantially limits imports, exports, and sales of African elephant ivory across state lines.
“Wildlife poaching and trafficking is a global crisis that threatens international security, and even legal trade in ivory can contribute to elephant poaching,” said Senator Coons. “Reducing demand for ivory here in the United States is key in combating wildlife trafficking, which is why it is so important that the Fish and Wildlife Service is taking action to significantly reduce commercial ivory trade. I applaud the Obama Administration’s actions and will continue to work with my colleagues in Congress to support this important effort through the legislative process.”
Senator Coons and Senator Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.) introduced the END Wildlife Trafficking Act last year to combat the rapidly growing crisis of wildlife trafficking by facilitating a strategic interagency approach, with a focus on country-specific and regional initiatives. The bill supports the ongoing work of the Presidential Task Force on Combating Wildlife Trafficking and directs the Task Force to analyze threats to wildlife and cooperatively develop country-specific strategic plans to combat those threats. The bill recently passed out of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee with unanimous support.