A Call to Action Outlawing Ivory, Rhino Horn, and Trophy Hunting Products in Ohio

The purpose of this petition is to enact legislation banning the import, in-state, and Internet sale and distribution of raw and worked Ivory, Rhino Horn, and Trophy Hunting products in the state of Ohio.

In 2014, President Barack Obama issued an executive order banning the import and export of ivory, yet the United States remains the largest consumer after China, as the order fails to include; the import, in-state, Internet, and diplomatic loopholes. (U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, 2014)  Trafficking of illegal ivory is a transnational organized crime run by terrorists and radicalists whom threaten our national security, our wildlife, and our people. (IFAW, 2013)  With 96 Elephants killed daily for their tusks, and 1200 Rhino killed annually in South Africa alone, (Howard, 2014) it is predicted that these keystone species will be extinct within a few short years. 

To understand the brutality of the killing, one must be aware of the methods – AK47’s, poisoned watermelons, cyanide dumped in watering holes thereby killing entire ecosystems in the process, hacking off tusks or horns while the animal is still alive, paralysis darts so the species cannot move yet is fully cognizant of machetes slicing into its skulls, and poisoned darts leading to weeks and weeks of extreme suffering before a long, unspeakable death. (McAvey, 2015)

US Senator Rob Portman (R-OH) says: "Stopping the ivory trade is not only a matter of conservation, but one of national security and international stability." (2014)  There is no legislation banning these products in Ohio, and that is what Ivory Free Ohio is committed to change. 

We encourage Governor Mike DeWine and our elected constituents to enact legislation banning all sales of these products. Wild animals cannot protect themselves or their habitats, but we can and we must! 

Respectfully,

Ivory Free Ohio - IFOH

Ivory Free Ohio is a Grassroots Organization Committed to Ending the Trade of All Ivory, Rhino Horn, and Trophy Hunting Products in the State of Ohio.

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Twitter: @IvoryFreeOhio  

Web: IvoryFreeOhio.org

Reference

Howard, B.C. (2015, January 22). South Africa Sees Record Year for Rhino Poaching. Nationalgeographic.com. Retrieved from http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2015/01/150122-rhino-poaching-south-africa-conservation-science/

McAvey, A. (2015). Ivory Free Vermont. Ivoryfreevermont.org. Retrieved from http://www.ivoryfreevermont.org/

Portman, R. (2014, February 8). Elephants Slaughtered for Trinkets and Terrorism. CNN.com. Retrieved from http://www.cnn.com/2014/02/08/opinion/portman-elephants/

Photo Credit: WWF