https://www.fws.gov/news/ShowN...ervation:-&_ID=35686



Press Release

Administration Takes Bold Step for African Elephant Conservation: Completes Near-Total Elephant Ivory Ban to Cut Off Opportunities for Traffickers

Special rule for African elephants under the Endangered Species Act contains limited exemptions for bona fide antiques and items with small amounts of ivory that are not drivers of poaching

June 2, 2016

Contact(s):
Jessica Kershaw, Interior_Press@ios.doi.gov
Gavin Shire, 703-358-2649, gavin_shire@fws.gov


In a significant move to protect one of the world’s most cherished species, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) today completed a rulemaking process under the Endangered Species Act (ESA) 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. The rule is the latest of several actions implemented by the Service aimed at reducing the opportunities for wildlife traffickers to trade illegal ivory under the guise of a legal product.

“Today’s bold action underscores the United States’ leadership and commitment to ending the scourge of elephant poaching and the tragic impact it’s having on wild populations,” said Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell, who serves as co-chair of the President’s Task Force on Wildlife Trafficking. “We hope other nations will act quickly and decisively to stop the flow of blood ivory by implementing similar regulations, which are crucial to ensuring our grandchildren and their children know these iconic species.”

Wildlife trafficking reduces the economic, social and environmental benefits of wildlife while generating billions of dollars for organized criminal enterprises, contributing to an illegal economy, fueling instability and undermining security. The final rule prohibits most commerce in ivory but makes specific, limited exceptions for certain pre-existing manufactured items -- such as musical instruments, furniture pieces and firearms -- that contain less than 200 grams of ivory and meet other specific criteria. Antiques, as defined under the ESA, are also exempt from the act’s prohibitions. This rule is limited to African elephant ivory and does not further regulate ivory derived from other species, such as walrus, whale and mammoth.

“Since we proposed this rule in 2015, we received more than 1.3 million comments from the public, demonstrating that Americans care deeply about elephants and overwhelmingly support African elephant conservation,” said Service Director Dan Ashe. “Our actions close a major avenue to wildlife traffickers by removing the cover that legal ivory trade provides to the illegal trade. We still have much to do to save this species, but today is a good day for the African elephant.”

Federal law enforcement investigations demonstrate that wildlife traffickers have exploited prior regulations allowing for legal trade in ivory. Under current laws, once illegal ivory enters the market, it becomes nearly impossible to distinguish from legal ivory, limiting the effectiveness of law enforcement efforts to intercept black market shipments and catch traffickers. The new rule will provide federal agents with clearer lines of demarcation to identify illegal ivory. Desire for elephant ivory, mostly in Asia, is so great that it grossly outstrips the legal supply and creates a void in the marketplace that ivory traffickers are eager to fill. Perpetuating legal trade only serves to stimulate this consumer demand and further threaten wild elephant populations.

During a recent three-year period, an estimated 100,000 elephants were killed for their ivory, an average of approximately one every 15 minutes, and poaching continues at an alarming rate. The carcasses of illegally killed elephants now litter some of Africa’s premiere parks. Elephants are under threat even in areas that were once thought to be safe havens.

During the last year, the Service consulted extensively with groups that will be impacted by the new trade controls for ivory. The rule provides detailed guidance on the transportation and trade in limited types of ivory products that are still allowed. The Service will provide additional implementation guidance on the rule before it goes into effect July 6, 2016, 30 days following publication in the Federal Register.

“We listened carefully to the legitimate concerns raised by various stakeholder groups and, as a result, are allowing commonsense, narrow exceptions for musicians, musical instrument makers and dealers, gun owners and others to trade items that have minimal amounts of ivory and satisfy other conditions,” said Ashe. “These items are not drivers of elephant poaching and do not provide cover for traffickers.”

This rule is the latest in a suite of actions taken by the Administration to combat wildlife trafficking including: Securing corporate commitments to stem trafficking through the U.S. Wildlife Trafficking Alliance; developing international partnerships with range and demand countries; law enforcement operations such as Operation Crash; and drafting of the Trans Pacific Partnership Agreement, which is currently under public and congressional review and includes the strongest international commitments to fight the illegal trade in endangered species of any trade agreement in history.

The final rule will publish in the Federal Register June 6, 2016, at which time it will be available at www.regulations.gov under docket no. FWS–HQ–IA–2013–0091. For more information on the final rule, please see http://www.fws.gov/internation...nt-4d-final-rule.pdf.

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https://www.fws.gov/internatio...nt-4d-final-rule.pdf



See page 7 attached link:



Do I need a permit to import my African elephant personal sport-hunted trophy?
Yes, under the provisions of the 4(d) rule, an ESA threatened species import permit is required for
all African elephant personal sport-hunted trophies, including CITES Appendix-II specimens.
Import of sport-hunted African elephant trophies is limited to two sport-hunted trophies per year.
Visit our sport-hunted trophies permits webpage for additional information.

quote:

Desire for elephant ivory, mostly in Asia, is so great that it grossly outstrips the legal supply and creates a void in the marketplace that ivory traffickers are eager to fill

out of interest does anyone know how much illegal ivory is actually smuggled into the usa? as to me as we all know, the above states where the problem lies..... maybe they should read their own statements..........

As per the norm for our government these days.

One more useless regulation. This will have absolutely no effect on elephant poaching.

Until the world changes the Asian culture on ivory and rhino horn the species will be under threat.

I guess this shuts down import of ivory from SA and Namibia as well now???

Thanks for the information Kathy.

Final Rule
114 pages

http://www.fws.gov/internation...ican-elephant-4d.pdf

What a joke. Ivory poaching will continue unabated until there are no elephants left to poach. This is going to do absolutely nothing at all, except penalize the good individuals who have followed the rules and regulations in hunting elephant or obtaining ivory products legally.

http://allafrica.com/stories/201606031186.html



Africa: U.S. Bans Nearly All Sales of Ivory From Africa As Kerry Heads to China

By Kevin J. Kelley


The US government acted on Thursday to implement President Barack Obama's announced intention in Kenya last year to ban nearly all domestic sales of elephant ivory from Africa.

New rules issued by a US wildlife-protection agency allow sales of ivory only when it is part of genuine antiques or used in small quantities in items such as musical instruments.

"Today's bold action underscores the United States' leadership and commitment to ending the scourge or elephant poaching and the tragic impact it's having on wild populations," said Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell.

Speaking at State House in Nairobi last July, Mr Obama announced a proposed rule that "bans the sale of virtually all ivory across our state lines, which will eliminate the market for illegal ivory in the United States."

The directive on Thursday carries out that proposal by the US head of state.



The Obama administration is also encouraging other nations to take similar action. The new rule was issued a few days prior to US Secretary of State John Kerry's scheduled visit to China, which is said to be the world's largest importer of smuggled tusks.

Mr Kerry can now urge Chinese leaders to follow the US lead in stepping up efforts to protect African elephants, US Fish and Wildlife Director Dan Ashe noted on Thursday.

"We still have much to do to save this species, but today is a good day for the African elephant," Mr Ashe said.

Activist groups hailed the US move.

"The US is boldly saying to ivory poachers: You are officially out of business," declared Cristian Samper, president of the Wildlife Conservation Society.

The US initiative comes six weeks after Kenya won international praise for publicly burning more than 100 tonnes of confiscated ivory taken from its elephants.

"(6) Comment: Many commenters stated that, while limiting import of sport-hunted
African elephant trophies to two per hunter per year is an improvement over the current situation,
import of sport-hunted trophies should be eliminated entirely. Others asserted that sport hunting
is barbaric and that the time has come to eliminate the taking of African elephants by Americans
for sport. Some commenters argued that we need to provide further explanation for our proposal
to allow a hunter to import two African elephant trophies per year and that one trophy would and
should suffice. Some asserted that allowing import of two sport-hunted African elephant
trophies per hunter per year is unsustainable for a species on the brink of extinction.
Response: The ESA does not prohibit U.S. hunters from traveling to other countries and
taking threatened species (although authorization may be required under the ESA to import the
sport-hunted trophy into the United States). AfECA specifically allows for import of sporthunted
trophies of elephants legally taken in a country that has submitted an ivory quota, and
CITES provides guidance (in Resolution Conf. 10.10 (Rev. CoP16), Trade in elephant
specimens) for trade in sport-hunted African elephant trophies, including on the establishment by
range countries of an annual export quota, as part of the management of the population. Wellregulated
trophy hunting is not a significant factor in the decline of elephant populations. We
continue to believe that sport hunting, as part of a sound management program, can provide
benefits to the conservation of the species. Before allowing import of African elephant sporthunted
trophies, we decide whether we can make the determinations necessary for import under
21
CITES and the ESA by evaluating information provided by range countries. The Service
determined in April 2014 that, based on the information available to us, import of sport-hunted
trophies from Tanzania and Zimbabwe could not be allowed because the killing of African
elephants for trophies in those countries does not meet the enhancement standard under the 4(d)
rule. We reached the same determination based on the information available in 2015. We
continue to evaluate requests for import of sport-hunted trophies carefully under CITES
requirements and the ESA enhancement finding required under this and the previous 4(d) rule.
As we indicated in the preamble to the proposed rule, we are limiting the number of
sport-hunted African elephant trophies that may be imported into the United States to address a
small number of circumstances in which U.S. hunters have participated in elephant culling
operations and imported, as sport-hunted trophies, a large number of elephant tusks from animals
taken as part of the cull. This practice has resulted, in some cases, in the import of commercial
quantities of ivory as sport-hunted trophies. Sport hunting is meant to be a personal,
noncommercial activity, and engaging in hunting that results in acquiring quantities of ivory that
exceed what would reasonably be expected for personal use and enjoyment is inconsistent with
sport hunting as a noncommercial activity. In evaluating an appropriate limit for personal use,
we considered actions taken by the CITES Parties in recognition of the need to ensure that
imports of certain other hunting trophies are for personal use only. In three different resolutions,
the CITES Parties have agreed to limit annual imports of hunting trophies of leopards (no more
than two), markhor (no more than one), and black rhinoceros (no more than one). All three of
the resolutions containing these annual import limits (Resolution Conf. 10.14 (Rev. CoP16),
Quotas for trade in leopard hunting trophies and skins for personal use, Resolution Conf. 10.15
(Rev. CoP14), Establishment of quotas for markhor hunting trophies, and Resolution Conf. 13.5
22
(Rev. CoP14), Establishment of export quotas for black rhinoceros hunting trophies),
recommend (among other things) that the Management Authority of the State of import be
satisfied that the trophies are not to be used for primarily commercial purposes if they are being
imported as personal items that will not be sold in the country of import and the owner imports
no more than one or two (depending on the species) trophies in any calendar year. Based on past
practice under CITES and the number of elephant trophies imported each year by the vast
majority of U.S. hunters who engage in elephant hunts, we consider two trophies per hunter per
year to be an appropriate upper limit for the personal use of the hunter and we believe that this
limit addresses our concern. We do not have information to indicate that allowing the import of
two trophies per hunter per year would result in import of commercial quantities of ivory or
would not be appropriate for personal use. Although some commenters asserted that one trophy
should be enough, they did not provide further information in support of this position (aside from
the general comments that hunting is not conservation). We anticipate this change will impact
fewer than 10 hunters per year. We believe it is necessary to use our authority under section 4(d)
of the ESA to ensure that ivory imported into the United States as sport-hunted trophies is
consistent with sport hunting as a personal, noncommercial activity and that commercial
quantities of ivory are not imported under the guise of sport hunting." -pg 20-22

From the sound of it, nothing changes for sport hunting, or did they add an additional piece of paperwork, ESA thing on top of CITES?

While not a win, it also was not a loss, IMO. Looks like Tanzania and Zimbabwe are still not importable, but that they are going to continue to evaluate the situations in those countries.

Have not finished reading it, but does anyone else see it differently?

TGDjr,



https://www.fws.gov/internatio...nt-4d-final-rule.pdf


Page 3 in the link:



Requires issuance of a threatened
species permit under 50 CFR 17.32
for import of all African elephant
sport-hunted trophies.

Isn't it encouraging to think that billions of dollars spent annually on US government salaries ends up generating this kind of unadulterated crap?

At times like this, anarchy becomes almost more attractive than any government at all.

Rant ended.

The change is that it fulfills all of the terms of Obama's prior executive order. So, yes, there are changes. As for Kerry going to China to persuade the Chinese and other Asian groups to please stop using Ivory-well, we saw how well his attempts to use Jame Taylor's "You've Got A Friend" in Paris worked. A trio of Schumcks-Kerry, Ashe and Obama.

Feel good rules for feel good fools.

I believe this means you need to get authorization from USFWS before going on your hunt? That's how I read it.

I hunted my elephant in RSA November 14th and it just left Joberg last week after correcting the weight of one of the tusks - that took 90 days - but better than shipping with discrepancy.

http://www.huntingreport.com/w...te.cfm?articleid=773



USFWS to Implement New Elephant Trophy Import Requirements

(posted June 06, 2016)

On Friday, June 3, the US Fish & Wildlife Service (USFWS) announced that it will restrict elephant hunting trophy imports of ivory to only two per year per hunter and that it will require an Endangered Species Act (ESA) enhancement import permit for all elephant trophies. The new requirements are part of the USFWS’ final rule revising the rule for African elephant under section 4(d) of the Endangered Species Act of 1973.

In the November 2015 issue of World Conservation Force Bulletin John J. Jackson, III, reported that USFWS had proposed to add these restrictions to elephant imports as part of recommendations arising from the President's Task Force on Wildlife Trafficking. (World Conservation Force Bulletin is delivered to you each month with your issue of The Hunting Report Newsletter.) At that time Conservation Force had submitted comments opposing the proposal.

The new requirements are scheduled to take effect on July 6, one month from today. If you plan to hunt elephant this safari season you will need to acquire an enhancement import permit from the Division of Management Authority of USFWS prior to importation. This is the same process required in the past for Tanzania elephant, but now must be done for elephant from the Republic of South Africa, Namibia, Zimbabwe and Botswana (whenever it lifts the current moratorium). Any elephant trophies entering the United States without an import permit will be in violation of the ESA and seized. Remember that USFWS treats all improperly permitted imports as contraband, and you will not be able to get the seized shipment back.

The silver lining in this is that the new requirements provide a way to import elephant trophies from Zimbabwe. If enhancement for a particular trophy can be shown, the trophy could receive an enhancement import permit. Operators in Zimbabwe and their clients are urged to contact Jackson right away for pro-bono assistance. Call 504.837.1233 or send an email to CF@conservationforce.org.

Look for more details on this development in the next issue of Conservation Force Bulletin and The Hunting Report. – Barbara Crown, Editor-in-Chief.

Get important news bulletins like this sent directly to your email 24 hours before anyone else sees them, plus unlimited access to our database of hunt reports and past articles, a special expanded electronic version of our newsletter and more! Upgrade your Hunting Report subscription to Email Extra today. Click here for more information.

Does this mean we can import legally hunted trophies from Zimbabwe if we get the proper permits?

quote:

Originally posted by eyeman:
Does this mean we can import legally hunted trophies from Zimbabwe if we get the proper permits?

Sure sounds like it! Wonder what kind of hoops the operators will have to jump through....


.

I still don't see USFWA announcing Zim is good to go

quote:

Originally posted by reddy375:
I guess this shuts down import of ivory from SA and Namibia as well now???

Not really, this from USFWS today:
"The revised 4(d) rule requires permits for any imports regardless of when the elephant was taken. So, as of the effective date, any elephant trophy imported would need to be accompanied by an import permit. We have already revised the trophy application, form 3-200-19, to include all elephants so individuals can start to request permits now if they know that they will not import the trophy until after the effective date.

We have already reached out to South Africa and Namibia to update our current elephant finding. Botswana is still closed to my knowledge."
Just have to complete the form...and hope.

Just yesterday a friend asked me what I though would be the value of two 60# tusks he got from his father. The dad shot the elephant in 1964. As I read the first paragraph of the press release, I think they are now commercially worthless, unless he sells them within Texas. Am I reading this correctly?
kh

http://www.huntingreport.com/w...te.cfm?articleid=774



News Alert – Pending Elephant Imports In Danger of Seizure

(posted June 07, 2016)

Hunters with elephant trophy imports scheduled for delivery to the United States must ensure their imports arrive before July 6 to prevent seizure by US Fish & Wildlife Service (USFWS). The Hunting Report has learned that those new enhancement import permits we reported on in an Email Extra Bulletin yesterday will be required as of July 6 no matter when you hunted your elephant. Any elephant trophy arriving without an import permit will be at risk of seizure.

In a response to inquiries by John J. Jackson, III, of Conservation Force, Tim Van Norman, Chief of Branch of Permits in the Division of Management Authority for USFWS, states that the revised rule on elephant imports requires an import permit regardless of when the elephant was taken. Also, hunters will be allowed only two elephant imports per year, no matter when you hunted the elephant. So, if you are importing an elephant you hunted two years ago, plus another one from last season, and both are scheduled to arrive in the US in 2016, you will have filled your limit of imports for this year. Any additional elephant you may hunt will not be importable until 2017.

If you have a pending elephant shipment make sure it will arrive before July 6. Otherwise you will need to fill out Form 3-200-19 to request an import permit. According to Van Norman, the application form has already been revised to include all elephants. “[I]ndividuals can start to request permits now if they know that they will not import the trophy until after the effective date,” he says. The new form had not been posted to the USWFS website today when The Hunting Report checked, but hunters can contact the Management Authority for one at managementauthority@fws.gov. – Barbara Crown, Editor-in-Chief.

Get important news bulletins like this sent directly to your email 24 hours before anyone else sees them, plus unlimited access to our database of hunt reports and past articles, a special expanded electronic version of our newsletter and more! Upgrade your Hunting Report subscription to Email Extra today. Click here for more information.

Correct. Won't have ANY effect on poaching, anymore than George H W's 1989 ban.

quote:

Originally posted by Austin Hunter:
I believe this means you need to get authorization from USFWS before going on your hunt? That's how I read it.

I hunted my elephant in RSA November 14th and it just left Joberg last week after correcting the weight of one of the tusks - that took 90 days - but better than shipping with discrepancy.

My elephant skull, hides, tusks, feet, etc along with my sable, bushbuck, and hartebeest all arrived safely last Friday. Thanks to Highveld and Coppersmith!

Law abiding folk obey the law and criminals don't. Poaching is a crime so this won't impact at all on poaching. What is so hard to understand about that?

USFW are a Bunch of Governmental BUFFOONS!!!