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Ivory may be mostly illegal to buy and sell, but the thriving illicit trade, combined with cases where it is legal, make protecting endangered elephants a difficult, and sometimes failing, task.
That's largely attributable to the fact that it is impossible to distinguish between legal and illegal ivory, so until all laws are strengthened, made more comprehensive and are better enforced, the trade will continue to flourish and in the process, devastate the world's elephant populations.
The International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW), which has an ongoing campaign against the ivory trade and to strengthen legal protections for elephants, points to cases like a Florida man who imported ivory for pool cues for why stronger enforcement is necessary.
That case broke just last month, with 197 pounds of ivory and cut ivory pieces seized, including 24 elephant tusk tips.
IFAW has an online petition that says, "Protections under the Endangered Species Act are riddled with loopholes, leaving the ivory trade to flourish in America and threatening Asian and African elephants in the wild."
It encourages people to ask Obama to reform U.S. ivory trade regulations and strengthen laws regarding the domestic and international ivory trade.
More about endangered species and the ivory trade:
Illegal Ivory Trade Increases
Illegal Ivory Trade on the Rise as Organized Crime Syndicates in Africa, Asia Grow in Strength
Wildlife Trafficking, Organized Crime & You
200 Pounds of Smuggled Ivory Seized From Passenger's Luggage at Bangkok Airport
