Truemors
is reporting from
Member
NP Rank:
NP Rank:
EBay bans sale of ivory
Share: 
by Amy Judd | October 21, 2008 at 11:27 am
284 views | 4 Recommendations | 9 comments
Photos
eBay has announced today that they are banning the sale of ivory on their websites worldwide, starting January 1st.
After coming under fire from animal welfare groups, the company decided now is the time to take the step and help protect the endangered species.
Here's an excerpt from the EBay blog on why the company finally went for the full monty -- click here to read the entire post:
Global demand for ivory has long been a significant factor in the poaching of African and Asian elephants, driving these species towards extinction –- to such a degree that both types of elephants are now considered endangered or protected species. [We] concluded that we simply can’t ensure that ivory listed for sale on eBay is in compliance with the complex regulations that govern its sale.
Not that they had much choice. According to a newly published report by the International Fund for Animal Welfare, Ebay is responsible for 63% of the trade in endangered species -- with elephant ivory comprising 73% of all products tracked.
You will still be able to buy antique items with a small amount of ivory, like an antique piano. By the term 'antique' eBay means pre-1900. But any item with a significant amount of ivory, regardless of what date they were made, will not be allowed at all.
What is NowPublic?
NowPublic lets people work together to cover news events around the world.
Crowd Power
chrissam42
Japan
moknits
Jersey City, New Jersey, United States
TaosStuff
London, United Kingdom
braddah karl
Honolulu, Hawaii, United StatesVersatile Aure
Gaithersburg, Maryland, United StatesLa Ignorancia Mata
Spainoakwoman
Pompano Beach, Florida, United States
Environmental Investigation Agency
Washington, District Of Columbia, United StatesLoPhatt
Gainesville, Florida, United Statesnosniv
San Francisco, California, United StatesClinton Steeds
Los Angeles, California, United Statesmacro.ca
Canadaerratic
Bahrain
Rajesh Prabhu
Pondicherry, Pondicherry, Indiakai_ross
San Francisco, California, United States
Most RecentMost Recommended Comments (9)
at 12:34 on October 21st, 2008
Good stuff good news
at 16:52 on October 21st, 2008
amyjudd, I like this story. It's good stuff.
Encouraging start ... long way to go ...
at 17:15 on October 21st, 2008
Honoured to have a photo of mine associated with an article on the (hopeful) future erradication of the ivory trade.
Thank you for asking for permission.
Kai
at 17:35 on October 21st, 2008
Thank you for requesting my photo....though it's not real ivory, simply something I made with polymer clay. Guess if you can't tell the difference then it's a great solution, eh?
oakwoman has contributed a photo to this story.
at 21:51 on October 21st, 2008
Always glad to be associated with a good cause. I had the privilege of seeing these magnificent animals in the wild a lot of times and believe me the poachers should be made to pay. And a ban on Ivory items is a great step towards it. WTG Ebay :)
at 02:26 on October 22nd, 2008
madness!!!!!!!!!!
i am an artist and i wholeheartedly agree with the ban on modern ivory sales as per the CITES convention, but my chosen medium is mammoth ivory and bone (in the trade called Montana ivory) both of which are exempt from the CITES ban firstly as cows ain't endangered and protecting the woolly mammoth may be a little late!
Ebay already has rules in place to restrict ivory sales that are scheduled in the CITES ban,so is this an attempt at free publicity?
In alaska last year a virus killed hundreds of walrus' the ivory had to be left to rot,had a reputable group been allowed to harvest it and the money gone to animal welfare charities it would have taken the pressure off poached species , and sow dropped the prices offered for ivory and so in-turn reduced poaching for it.
at 03:13 on October 22nd, 2008
This is really a great news for animal lovers,but buyers will get it from some other sources, a universal law is required to tackle the problem of these poachers and buyers network.
at 22:34 on October 22nd, 2008
clearly along with all the other bleeding heart tree huggers you are misinformed on the topic , there are many animals more endangered than the African elephant , in many parts of Africa they are culled due to the unsustainable herd sizes ,if they're so endangered why? A ban on the sale of ivory merely pushes the trade underground , pushing the price up and so the lucrativity of ivory poaching and sale. its an age old story ban something and you increase its popularity. maybe decreasing the prices of mammoth ivory could help?
at 09:02 on October 24th, 2008
What is the other 27% of the trade on eBay in endangered species? Surely not tigers? Live animals?