US Will Crush Nearly 6 Tons of Ivory on Nov 14 [Video]

About six tons of elephant ivory will be destroyed November 14, 2013, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced. The agency said that crushing tusks will send a strong message to poachers about America's zero-tolerance policy towards illegal ivory trade.

The items that will be destroyed range from whole tusks to small ivory trinklets that the agency has seized over the past two decades. This is the first time that the agency will crush large quantities of ivory.

"Destroying this ivory tells criminals who engage in poaching and trafficking that the United States will take all available measures to disrupt and prosecute those who prey on and profit from the deaths of these magnificent animals," the agency said.

Authorities will destroy the ivory at Rocky Mountain Arsenal National Wildlife Refuge in Commerce City, Colo., Livescience reported. The event was initially slated to occur in October, but recently the government delayed the destruction.

Populations of both African and Asian elephants are declining due to poaching. FWS says that about 30,000 elephants are killed each year for their prized tusks. Poachers even kill park rangers who work with local governments.

"We're standing with nations that have already destroyed their illegal ivory and showing our commitment to working with partners around the world to stop this trafficking and save elephants," the agency said.

The demand for ivory is high in Asia, but there are also buyers in America and other countries. Last year, owners of two jewellery shop in Manhattan were convicted of ivory trade, according to the Guardian.

The agency did not reveal the market value of the stockpile. Reuters had recently estimated that its price could be around $12 million.

Why doesn't U.S sell the ivory?

According to FWS, it is extremely difficult to differentiate between legal (purchased before 1970s) and the illegal ivory. Investigation by the agency has shown that legal ivory trade can hide ivory trafficking. Therefore, the agency is planning to destroy the entire stockpile.

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