Legislation to Curb Illegal Wildlife Trafficking will also cut off funding for trafficking that funds terrorist groups and threatens national security

This week legislation to save African elephants and rhinoceros from poachers, the Targeted Use of Sanctions for Killing Elephants and Rhinoceros (TUSKER) Act,  was introduced by Representative Peter DeFazio (D-OR). The bill would impose trade sanctions on countries that facilitate ivory and rhino horn trafficking. Ivory from elephant tusks and horn from rhinos contributes billions of dollars to the global illegal wildlife trade and funds organized crime and terrorist organizations.

Born Free USA applauds Representative Peter DeFazio’s legislation.

“More than 20,000  elephants and 1200 rhinos were slaughtered in 2014 alone and over 1000 park rangers have been killed trying to protect endangered wildlife,” said DeFazio. “The illegal wildlife trade funds the operations of gun, drug and human trafficking crime syndicates. It also funds extremely dangerous terrorist groups that threaten regional stability in Africa and national security in the United States. We need to choke off the access to the market. My legislation sends a strong message—if countries permit this illegal trafficking, there will be economic consequences.”

According to recent reports (Ivory’s Curse and Out of Africa) from Born Free USA, elephants continue to be slaughtered at record level while heroic park rangers are putting their lives on the line to protect and keep the animals safe.  Adam Roberts, CEO of Born Free USA,  says “the international illegal ivory trade is being driven by dangerous organized crime syndicates in Africa and Asia. It must be stopped.” Born Free is urging full support from.all members of Congress.”

Ivory’s Curse: The Militarization and Professionalization of Poaching in Africafinds that significant criminal syndicates and organized terrorist gangs engage in elephant poaching to acquire ivory, which they sell to buy arms—and that political elites and state security forces are often complicit. Out of Africa: Mapping the Global Trade in Illicit Elephant Ivory, focuses on the ivory supply chain and the trafficking of ivory from the bush in Africa to retail markets in Asia.