Those who wish to be rid of ivory works of art can now “safely and legally” dispose of them through a USFWS repository established in response to a “demand from members of the public”.
The government asks that ‘donors’ identify themselves, establish that the ivory is legal and forfeit all ownership claims before shipment by US Mail, UPS, or Federal Express to the new repository in Commerce City, Colorado.
Godfrey Harris, chair of the International Ivory Society formed to challenge strict laws on ivory moving through the Californian legislature, has taken exception to the language used in the proposal.
“USFWS has made ivory sound like a toxic substance requiring special handling by bomb disposal squads. If you didn’t know better, you would think that the next generation of IEDs are being disguised in old ivory billiard balls.”
