By the end of the month, an Obama administration task force is expected to make recommendations on how the federal government can do more to fight wildlife trafficking. Adam M. Roberts, CEO of Born Free USA and Born Free Foundation, is concerned that China is thought to have tons of ivory stockpiled, so it’s conceivable that it could supply its ivory carving market for years without importing any more tusks. Efforts to curb the market are critical, but they may take a long time, says Roberts. That’s why it’s also important to increase security at airports and other smuggling centers to “choke off poachers’ profits, so people start looking elsewhere for another line of work,” he explains.
Link: National Geographic