Wednesday, November 13, 2024
Hawai'i Free Press

Current Articles | Archives

Thursday, March 20, 2014
Own Ivory? 89% Chance You Won't Be Able to Sell it Legally if Clayton Hee Gets His Way
By News Release @ 9:43 PM :: 6947 Views :: Environment, Small Business, Tourism

Hawaii Senate Judiciary Committee Passes Legislation to Protect Elephants from Blood Ivory Trade

News Release from Humane Society International, March 20, 2014

This week the Hawaii Senate Judiciary and Labor Committee unanimously passed a bill to prohibit the sale of ivory from elephants and other wildlife. House Bill 493, Senate Draft 1, now awaits a hearing in the Senate Ways and Means Committee.

Inga Gibson, Hawaii senior state director for The Humane Society of the United States-Humane Society International said: “We commend Senate Judiciary Chair Clayton Hee and his fellow Committee members for recognizing the critical role that Hawaii plays in ending the brutal ivory trade. Under this law, Hawaii is poised to be a global leader in elephant conservation. We urge his colleagues in the Senate, and subsequently in the House, to support this legislation.”

Senate Judiciary Chairman Clayton Hee said: "Elephants are an integral part of our world’s ecosystem and their protection is our responsibility. We have a duty to their continued survival as a civilized and educated society. Hawaii has no business participating in the sale of illegal ivory as that only encourages more slaughter of these magnificent creatures. This law will help to end the incentive to needlessly butcher elephants and I am pleased to be a part of this process."

Facts:

  • The bill exempts legitimate antique ivory with necessary documentation showing that the ivory was legally acquired.
  • The bill complements a recent Director’s Order issued by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service to enhance enforcement efforts on the import, export and inter-state sale of ivory and other illegal wildlife products. The Obama administration urged the USFWS to issue the order due to the trade’s connection to criminal terrorist activity and the destabilization of economic and international security.
  • This measure, coupled with an earlier version of the bill (House Bill 2183) garnered more than 500 pieces of supportive testimony from across Hawaii and as far away as Africa and Hong Kong.
  • Hawaii is the third largest retailer of ivory and ivory products in the nation. Of more than 1,600 ivory items offered for sale in Hawaii, 89 percent were of unknown or likely illegal origin.

For more information on the blood ivory trade, visit our wildlife trade issues page and a recent blog post from HSUS President and CEO Wayne Pacelle.

---30---

Links

TEXT "follow HawaiiFreePress" to 40404

Register to Vote

2aHawaii

Aloha Pregnancy Care Center

AntiPlanner

Antonio Gramsci Reading List

A Place for Women in Waipio

Ballotpedia Hawaii

Broken Trust

Build More Hawaiian Homes Working Group

Christian Homeschoolers of Hawaii

Cliff Slater's Second Opinion

DVids Hawaii

FIRE

Fix Oahu!

Frontline: The Fixers

Genetic Literacy Project

Grassroot Institute

Habele.org

Hawaii Aquarium Fish Report

Hawaii Aviation Preservation Society

Hawaii Catholic TV

Hawaii Christian Coalition

Hawaii Cigar Association

Hawaii ConCon Info

Hawaii Debt Clock

Hawaii Defense Foundation

Hawaii Family Forum

Hawaii Farmers and Ranchers United

Hawaii Farmer's Daughter

Hawaii Federation of Republican Women

Hawaii History Blog

Hawaii Jihadi Trial

Hawaii Legal News

Hawaii Legal Short-Term Rental Alliance

Hawaii Matters

Hawaii Military History

Hawaii's Partnership for Appropriate & Compassionate Care

Hawaii Public Charter School Network

Hawaii Rifle Association

Hawaii Shippers Council

Hawaii Together

HiFiCo

Hiram Fong Papers

Homeschool Legal Defense Hawaii

Honolulu Navy League

Honolulu Traffic

House Minority Blog

Imua TMT

Inouye-Kwock, NYT 1992

Inside the Nature Conservancy

Inverse Condemnation

July 4 in Hawaii

Land and Power in Hawaii

Lessons in Firearm Education

Lingle Years

Managed Care Matters -- Hawaii

MentalIllnessPolicy.org

Missile Defense Advocacy

MIS Veterans Hawaii

NAMI Hawaii

Natatorium.org

National Parents Org Hawaii

NFIB Hawaii News

NRA-ILA Hawaii

Obookiah

OHA Lies

Opt Out Today

Patients Rights Council Hawaii

Practical Policy Institute of Hawaii

Pritchett Cartoons

Pro-GMO Hawaii

RailRipoff.com

Rental by Owner Awareness Assn

Research Institute for Hawaii USA

Rick Hamada Show

RJ Rummel

School Choice in Hawaii

SenatorFong.com

Talking Tax

Tax Foundation of Hawaii

The Real Hanabusa

Time Out Honolulu

Trustee Akina KWO Columns

Waagey.org

West Maui Taxpayers Association

What Natalie Thinks

Whole Life Hawaii