ALBANY – Officials in Albany want to put a stop to the illegal selling of ivory and rhinoceros horns in New York State.
On Tuesday, Governor Andrew Cuomo announced an agreement with legislative leaders on a bill to restrict the market for ivory articles and rhinoceros horns. The bill prohibits transactions involving these materials with very limited exceptions and increases the criminal and civil penalties for individuals who violate this law.
According to Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver, New York is a leading market in the world for illegal ivory sales and so it is important that the state strengthen its laws to more effectively crack down on this nefarious activity.
Officials say the illegal ivory trade is an international crisis in which 20,000 African elephants were slaughtered in 2013 alone. Poachers who are supporting terrorism and the drug trade are acting with impunity – helped in part by receptive markets in New York City and Asia.
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