Posted on 02/16/2014 12:17:28 PM PST by MeneMeneTekelUpharsin
The biggest misconception that we hear or read about is that "all ivory is ILLEGAL to own, buy or sell". If you believe this statement then I will be selling a beautiful bridge, located in New York, on EBAY next week... no reserve! In the next few paragraphs I have put together a simple summary of the INTERNATIONAL and U.S.FISH & WILDLIFE laws which regulate the commerce of ivory, which in turn is regulated by C.I.T.E.S. (Convention on the International Trade in endangered Species) and the 'Marine Mammal Protection Act'. C.I.T.E.S. is an organization that was formed in 1973 as a multinational protege of the United Nations to meet every 2 years to review data and set quotas to maintain levels of protection on species of both plant and animal. Here's what they say on regulation of ivories:
AFRICAN ELEPHANT: This is on the C.I.T.E.S. endangered species list. The importation, selling and buying of this ivory IS NOT ALLOWED INTERNATIONALLY. It cannot be exported or imported to the U.S. and most of the countries delegated to the U.N., BUT... it is LEGAL TO OWN, SELL, BUY, or SHIP within the boundaries of the U.S. and there are NO PERMITS or REGISTRATION requirements! *The majority of african elephant ivory is "old estate" ivory that was brought into this country since its' inception.
ASIAN ELEPHANT : Also on the C.I.T.E.S. Endangered species list and is ILLEGAL to buy, trade, sell, import or export anywhere internationally or INTERSTATE within the U.S.
MAMMOTH/MASTEDON: These are two distinctively different animals for one thing but the ivory is difficult to distinguish between the two. These mammals are extinct and were on this earth 10 to 40,000 years ago so this ivory is COMPLETELY UNRESTRICTED! Distinguishing the difference between Mammoth/Mastedon ivory and Elephant ivory is determined by the angles where the cross grain lines bisect each other. Angles greater than 120% indicate elephant ivory and angles less than 90% indicate Mammoth/Mastedon ivory. Other distinctions include the color of the inner layers of the ivory and the outer layer referred to as the 'bark'.
HIPPO/WARTHOG: These species are protected but not endangered. Because of over population and a danger to humans, these animals are legally hunted by regulation for 'cull' purposes. Permits and documentation are required for importing or exporting this ivory but once it is in the U.S., NO PERMITS OR DOCUMENTS ARE NECESSARY to buy or sell interstate.
SPERM WHALE: An endangered species and regulated since 1973 by The Marine Mammal Protection Act. NO IMPORTATION/EXPORTATION PERIOD! Interstate sales of REGISTERED PRE-ACT teeth with SCRIMSHAW is allowed under a special Federal Permit. Unregistered pre-act teeth can NO LONGER BE REGISTERED and CANNOT BE TRANSPORTED across interstate lines for commercial purposes. THEY CAN BE SOLD 'INTRASTATE' so long as STATE LAW does not prohibit it!
ANTIQUE (100 YRS +) Scrimshaw Teeth can be sold Interstate.
Funny how quickly those warped minds converge when the name “Ayers” comes up.
Except your likely to get it confiscated no matter and then destroyed before you can prove it’s legal. If you even can.
Right?
http://www.scotsman.com/news/environment/ivory-age-test-is-key-to-trade-ban-1-1363787
Published today, how about that?
Only live elephants need ivory. After they die humans should be tree to enjoy it.
One issue with a lot of pre-ban ivory (and other things like certain rare species of wood) is that you have to be able to prove how old the ivory or wood itself is. If you have ivory keys on a old piano, or inlaid in a vintage Gibson mandolin for example, the age of the instrument is not proof the ivory is pre-ban, you still have to be able to prove that the ivory itself is old enough to allow transport across international borders or to be sold in a commercial transaction in the U.S. (in other words just showing the serial number of the instrument dates it back 1930 means nothing).
Proving how old individual parts of an item are is next to impossible of course, and it’s the reason concert pianists have replaced the ivory keys on old pianos with plastic, and why many musicians have stopped traveling with vintage instruments.
In the U.S. you will probably have the item seized by Customs or the Fish and Wildlife Service but if you can afford an expert witness you have a small chance of getting it back if you show up at a special court that decides these things (assuming it’s legitimately vintage). If you are traveling overseas many countries just automatically seize any ivory or rare woods without regard to age, or items containing them, and there’s zero chance of ever getting it back.
Even in the U.S., if some Gov’t official decides to seize an item, the Gov’t bears no burden at all to prove anything, it will be 100% up to you to have documentation in order to get it back.
” it is LEGAL TO OWN, SELL, BUY, or SHIP within the boundaries of the U.S. and there are NO PERMITS or REGISTRATION requirements!”
That is, unless Gibson wants to use it for guitar inlays!
“Or a custom-made leather lampshade.”
Custom-crafted by Ed Gein?
“They’re ivory. Only a pimp from a cheap New Orleans whorehouse would carry a pearl-handled pistol.”
George S. Patton
This states only ivory from elephants alive pre-1947 is legal.
I have ivory purchased in the South Pacific in 1975 and presumably from China. It could easily come from elephants alive after 1947, yet when I purchased it and brought it into the US, it was legal.
OTOH, one of my smaller pieces is likely not ivory at all, but bone. I see pieces on eBay all the time that resemble my ivory and they all say *bone* and are priced accordingly.
At one time, several years ago, my large, common, carved ivory bridge was selling on eBay for $1500 or more. I believe I paid around $250 for it in 1975. I believe I bought it in Australia.
Well, a lot die to get their ivory.
Two-thirds of forest elephants killed by ivory poachers in past decade
The forest elephants of Africa have lost almost two-thirds of their number in the past decade due to poaching for ivory, a landmark new study revealed on Tuesday. The research was released at an international wildlife summit in Bangkok where the eight key ivory-trading nations, including the host nation Thailand and biggest market China, have been put on notice of sweeping trade sanctions if they fail to crack down on the trade.
“The analysis confirms what conservationists have feared: the rapid trend towards extinction – potentially within the next decade – of the forest elephant,” said Samantha Strindberg of the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS), one of 60 scientists on the research team.
http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2013/mar/05/two-thirds-forest-elephants-killed
Well, it won’t do the elephant any good now.
Giving up your piece of ivory is not going to bring the elephant back to life.
What about Walrus tusk?
I admit to knowing absolutely nothing about walrus tusks. Or boar tusks. Or any other tusks. Walrus tusks seem to be for sale all over the internet, though.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.