Crushing the Ivory Trade | TIME For Kids

On Friday, more than a ton of ivory was crushed in New York City’s Times Square. The act is meant to highlight the threat of the illegal ivory trade to African elephants, and show the world that the illegal ivory trade can not continue. The event was organized by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, New York State agencies and the Wildlife Conservation Society, which runs New York City's zoos. The crowd included lawmakers, wildlife advocates, and celebrities.

“Today’s ivory crush will send a message to the world,” U.S. Interior Secretary Sally Jewell told the crowd. “We’re not only crushing ivory, we’re crushing the ivory market.”

After speeches, a 25-ton rock crusher began grinding ivory statues into a sand-like pulp. The hundreds of wildlife supporters broke out in applause as pieces of ivory flew from the machine. The destroyed ivory, along with six tons that were destroyed in 2013, will be used to create an elephant memorial.

Supply and Demand

Thousands of African elephants are killed each year for their ivory tusks. The ivory is used to make expensive jewelry, ornaments, and art. African elephant populations are now in grave danger because of the ivory trade.

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The ivory trade threatens African Elephants.

The Times Square Event comes a week before the U.S. is expected to issue new regulations outlawing the ivory trade, and weeks after the Chinese government said it would plan to do the same. Wildlife activists say these actions are important. The rate of elephant poaching has increased in recent years, largely as a result of increased demand for ivory in China. Because of the demand, elephant populations have dwindled. Fewer than 500,000 elephants roam Africa today, and poachers kill 50,000 each year.

Two-Sided Debate

Destroying ivory that has been traded illegally may seem like a smart move. But, the practice has been criticized from a number of groups, including some wildlife supporters. They say that ivory contains evidence that could be used against traders. Others argue that crushing ivory reduces the supply and increases the odds that poachers will hunt more elephants.

But the groups behind the ivory crushing say the public awareness of this issue far outweighs the risks.

“I had no idea that the U.S. was one of the largest ivory markets in the world,” said Food Network star Katie Lee, who works with conservation group 96 Elephants. “Every time I tell someone the statistics, they’re shocked. The more people that hear about this, the more change that can take place.”

Jeffrey Flocken, who leads the International Fund for Animal Welfare’s North American branch, described the one ton load as “a drop in the ocean.” Still, he said, crushing the ivory sends a clear message that the illegal trade won’t be accepted.