Great U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Video Outlining Illicit African Ivory Industry
May 29th, 2012
Richard Ruggiero, Chief, Branch of Near East, South Asia and Africa of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, discusses how poaching for ivory negatively affects a “keystone species” in Africa’s environment. This video is a part of a larger video series from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service entitled “Save Vanishing Species” and focusses on the detrimental effects of elephant poaching for ivory.
During a Senate Foreign Relations hearing on May 24th, Chair John Kerry discussed the issue of ivory trafficking with a panel of three testifiers, including GFI’s Tom Cardamone. The hearing concluded that ivory trafficking hurts Africa’s environment, economy, population, funds terrorist organizations and other illicit enterprises, undermines governance, and promotes illicit economies. This video gives an up-close look at how the problem plays out at the ground level.