Ivory stockpiles are worthless under trading bans and cash-strapped countries say they are tired of being told what to do

An interesting article in The National regarding push by some entities and some countries to legalize the trade of ivory and rhino horn. While many countries and groups have held highly publicized burnings and destruction of blood-goods manufactured using ivory and rhino horn, each product of which represents the needless death of an animal, others are lobbying to legalize trading in such items. Often the arguments that a country no longer wants to be “controlled” by outside influence is made, or, even more insidiously, the implication that endangered species can be better protected if trade of their body parts is legalized, allowing for regulation of the trade. Unfortunately multiple studies have shown that in areas where trade is still legal a huge percentage of the ivory and rhino horn products, if not 100% of them, can be directly linked to poaching and illegal smuggling.