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NY DEC Displays 1 Ton Of Ivory To Be Crushed

DEC
Governor Andrew M. Cuomo introduced and signed a new law in 2014 that effectively banned the sale of elephant and mammoth ivory and rhinoceros horns, and strengthened the criminal and civil penalties for buyers and sellers.

The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation displayed at its headquarters Thursday nearly two tons of ivory DEC Officers have confiscated over the last several years. 

The ivory tusks, trinkets, statues, jewelry, and other decorative items will be crushed in Central Park, New York City, on Aug. 3rd while supporters gather to watch, sending a clear message that the state will not tolerate wildlife crime that threatens to wipe out Africa's elephants.

An estimated 96 elephants are killed each day in Africa due to ivory poaching.

Since Governor Cuomo signed New York's ivory ban in 2014, DEC’s enforcement actions have targeted 16 corporations and 31 individuals, seizing thousands of individual ivory pieces with a total market value of nearly $10 million.

DEC’s enforcement actions have targeted 16 corporations and 31 individuals, seizing thousands of individual ivory pieces with a total market value of nearly $10 million.

Partnering organizations include some of the world's most prominent wildlife conservation NGOs:

  • African Wildlife Foundation
  • Association of Zoos and Aquariums
  • The Humane Society of the United States
  • International Fund for Animal Welfare
  • National Geographic
  • Natural Resources Defense Council
  • Save Animals Facing Extinction
  • United States Wildlife Trafficking Alliance
  • WildAid

This is the new report out from the wildlife organization TRAFFIC, which shows that DEC’s enforcement actions have had a profound impact on the ivory market in New York:

http://www.traffic.org/home/2017/7/26/trade-study-sets-new-baseline-for-monitoring-us-elephant-ivo.html

Dave Lucas is WAMC’s Capital Region Bureau Chief. Born and raised in Albany, he’s been involved in nearly every aspect of local radio since 1981. Before joining WAMC, Dave was a reporter and anchor at WGY in Schenectady. Prior to that he hosted talk shows on WYJB and WROW, including the 1999 series of overnight radio broadcasts tracking the JonBenet Ramsey murder case with a cast of callers and characters from all over the world via the internet. In 2012, Dave received a Communicator Award of Distinction for his WAMC news story "Fail: The NYS Flood Panel," which explores whether the damage from Hurricane Irene and Tropical Storm Lee could have been prevented or at least curbed. Dave began his radio career as a “morning personality” at WABY in Albany.
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