In October 2015 California’s A.B. 96 was signed into law by Governor Jerry Brown. The bill restricts trade and closes loopholes around the sale in ivory parts from multiple animal sources and any rhinoceros horn, loopholes which allowed for the illegal trade in these endangered and vulnerable species to flourish in massive markets.
Percent of Ivory Estimated Illegal Openly For Sale
50% statewide estimate
The Role of California
California is one of the largest commercial markets in the United States for illegal ivory. An investigation of California’s ivory sellers discovered that 90 percent of the ivory examined in Los Angeles stores was illegal, and similar numbers were found at stores in San Francisco. While customers often assume that if ivory is for sale it is legal, the majority filters in from poachers and trafficking kingpins who have no qualms hiding the true and brutal origin of the ivory.
Species Covered
A.B. 96 covers any ivory “tooth or tusk from a species of elephant, hippopotamus, mammoth, mastodon, walrus, warthog, whale or narwhal” and any rhinoceros horn.
Exemptions
The ban does not apply to state or federal law enforcement agents undertaking law enforcement activity, permitted and authorized activity, musical instruments provided the amount of ivory is less than 20 percent by volume and the owner or seller has historical documentation that the item was manufactured no later than 1975, and bona fide antiques where ivory is less than 5 percent by volume.
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