In 2008 there was an authorized sale of ivory that was supposed to provide funds for elephant conservation. It didn't work and ignited a frenzy of elephant poaching unseen since the 1989 ivory ban.
This article from the National Geographic news website is a good primer on why the ivory trade likely cannot be sustained (although there are dissenting views on this as discussed in the article). This is a good read for anyone interested in elephant conservation.
Can Elephants Survive a Legal Ivory Trade? Debate Is Shifting Against It
This article from the National Geographic news website is a good primer on why the ivory trade likely cannot be sustained (although there are dissenting views on this as discussed in the article). This is a good read for anyone interested in elephant conservation.
Can Elephants Survive a Legal Ivory Trade? Debate Is Shifting Against It