DC Set to Ban Ivory and Rhino Horn Sales

A bill to restrict the sale of ivory and rhino horn in the nation’s capital is poised to pass the DC Council and head to Mayor Muriel Bowser’s desk. A 2017 study by TRAFFIC found that the DC area had more ivory items for sale than any other metropolitan area surveyed, surpassing cities such as New York, San Francisco, and Los Angeles that used to dominate the ivory market.

While federal law currently prevents the import/export of and interstate commerce in elephant ivory, it does not and cannot address the trade within an individual jurisdiction’s borders. Passage of Bill B22-0314 would establish Washington, DC, as a leader in the fight against wildlife trafficking, together with California, Hawaii, Illinois, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, New Mexico, Oregon, and Washington—all states that have enacted laws to restrict or ban the sale of ivory and rhino horn within their borders.

Program Terms: Terrestrial Wildlife

AWI Quarterly Terms: Government/Legal, Quick Read