>I suggest refusing to do it. It sickens me that so many in our trade >cater to those who believe it is right to celebrate the slaughter of >magnificent animals for their two front teeth. Even if it happened >over a century ago, it was never right, and we are wrong to condone >or prolong this fetish. > >Joseph Giandalone, RPT Nah......I believe you have the wrong outlook here...just my opinion though. If we were talking about illegal/poached ivory with the proceeds going to those who supported such activities you would have a point but............ The Ivory trade these days is controlled by governments and international treaty obligations. Some poaching though still goes on and always will but not to the extent it once did and that ivory never reaches any legitimate dealers...hopefully. Illegal ivory amounts to a verrrryy small percentage of the total on the world market. 'Legal' ivory comes from two sources: 1. Ivory confiscated from poachers. 2. Ivory obtained from the needful "culling" of elephant herds. Such "culling" is taken on by government entities when the local elephant herds grow too large for their environment to sustain in an ecologically sensible and sustainable form, or the occasional "rouge" elephant is dispatched. In leiu of allowing many in an overlarge herd to starve to death "culling" is responsible management, don't you agree? The proceeds from the sale of 'legal' ivory are applied toward the management of game parks/preserves and benefits all the animals therein...or that is what happens in most locales. The countries which have populations of elephants make more money from eco-tourism, etc. than from the sale of any 'legal' ivory so it just makes sense to protect the health and stability of their herds....doncha think? If we did not use this 'legal' ivory, what would you suggest we do with it? bury it in a landfill.....???? Jim Bryant (FL)
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