California congresswoman Toni Atkins on Wednesday introduced a bill that will intensify the ban on ivory trade in the entire state.

The bill, AB 96, intends to fortify the 1977 law forbidding the sale of illegal ivory in California. The 1977 law is believed to have wide loopholes that impede efforts to end the trade of ivory taken from poached elephants.

Like Us on Facebook

For example, the law permits the sale of ivory as antiques if they were obtained before 1977. Illegal traders use this loophole to continue selling ivories altered to look old.

Since DNA testing and carbon dating are needed to determine the age of ivory, enforcing the law is a challenge.

"California recognized that and enacted a law almost 40 years ago to end the ivory trade here, but that law needs strengthening in order to be effective," Atkins said at the State Assembly.

According to a recent report by the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), 90 percent of the ivory traded in Los Angeles and 80 percent in San Francisco is illegal.

Atkins hopes that through the bill, California can do its part to save elephants from slaughter. The Democrat from San Diego describes the killing of elephants as senseless and cruel.

If AB 96 is passed, it would prohibit anyone from importing, buying or selling ivory. A penalty of up to US$10,000 and a misdemeanor charge await offenders. The bill also includes rhino horn trade.

"As long as demand for ivory remains high and enforcement efforts are low, the legal trade will continue to serve as a front for criminal syndicates," said John Calvelli of the Wildlife Conservation Society.

An improved ivory trade ban in the state would create a positive impact on elephant conservation in a global scale, Calvelli added.

The United States is believed to be the largest market for ivory next to China.

Tagscalifornia, Toni Atkins, elephant, ivory, poaching