National Geographic: Elephants Win as Hong Kong’s Leader Says It Will Ban Ivory Trade

Shutting down the world’s largest legal ivory market would be a conservation milestone. By Laurel Neme PUBLISHED January 14, 2016 Hong Kong’s Chief Executive, Leung Chun-ying, announced plans to ban the domestic ivory trade during his 2016 Policy Address. The annual speech lays out the year’s policy agenda. In the middle of the two-hour monologue, between statements on…

Read More

National Geographic: How the International Trade in Geckos Is a Scam (2)

      How the International Trade in Geckos Is a Scam The coauthor of a new report says low-profile species are often hit hardest by illegal and unsustainable trade. By Laurel Neme PUBLISHED Wed Jan 06 07:00:00 EST 2016 Tokay geckos are the world’s second largest species of gecko, with males reaching lengths of up to…

Read More

National Geographic: Why Shutting Down China’s Ivory Trade Won’t Be Easy

First posted on 2016-01-09   Why Shutting Down China’s Ivory Trade Won’t Be Easy An undercover investigation shows how Chinese businesses launder illegal ivory into the legal market and also trade in illegal rhino horn. By Laurel Neme PUBLISHED Fri Jan 08 07:00:00 EST 2016 China is the world’s largest ivory consumer, with its legal market often providing…

Read More

National Geographic: How the International Trade in Geckos Is a Scam

The coauthor of a new report says low-profile species are often hit hardest by illegal and unsustainable trade. By Laurel Neme PUBLISHED Wed Jan 06, 2016 For many species threatened by the illegal wildlife trafficking, such as rhinos, elephants, tigers, and bears, debates persist as to whether a legal trade in their parts and products can reduce…

Read More

Huffington Post: Chinese Researchers Explore Options for Ivory Ban

    Posted: 12/16/2015    When Chinese President Xi Jinping announced in September 2015 that China would, together with the United States, work toward a complete domestic ban on ivory, it was a welcome step in the fight against elephant poaching. Yet it was also only the first step in a long road. Now comes the…

Read More

National Geographic: Chinese Researchers Explore How to Implement Ivory Ban

China has a 3,000-year tradition of carving ivory. Shutting down its thriving ivory market won’t be easy. By Laurel Neme, National Geographic PUBLISHED Tue Dec 15, 2015   When Chinese President Xi Jinping announced in September 2015 that China would, together with the United States, work toward a complete domestic ban on ivory, it was a welcome…

Read More

Huffington Post: In Latin America, Illegal Wildlife Trade Explodes

                             Posted: 11/09/2015    With its spectacularly diverse ecosystems, rare and endemic species, remote terrain, often loophole-riddled laws and sketchy enforcement, Latin America is a haven for a booming illegal wildlife trade. South and Central America’s diversity is a magnet for wildlife traffickers…

Read More

Huffington Post: Unraveling Latin America’s Illegal Wildlife Trade

  Posted: 11/23/2015  The trafficking of elephants in Africa has gained tremendous media attention. Not so the illegal trade in birds, amphibians, reptiles, mammals, and fish of Central and South America — a problem of epidemic proportion. Wildlife trafficking transit chains in Latin America are complex, secret, and as varied as the many common and threatened…

Read More

National Geographic: Take it to the People: Model for an Ivory Sales Ban

Posted: 11/24/2015        Elephant ivory seized by officials in Hong Kong. Photo courtesy of Alex Hofford.   Voters in Washington state sent a strong message to the world on November 3 when they passed the country’s first-ever comprehensive state ban on commerce in endangered animal species. The Washington Animal Trafficking Initiative 1401 (I-1401) prohibits…

Read More

Huffington Post: Take it to the People: Model for an Ivory Sales Ban

    Elephant ivory seized by officials in Hong Kong. Photo courtesy of Alex Hofford. Voters in Washington state sent a strong message to the world on November 3 when they passed the country’s first-ever comprehensive state ban on commerce in endangered animal species. The Washington Animal Trafficking Initiative 1401 (I-1401) prohibits the purchase, sale,…

Read More