THE PROBLEM WILL COME FROM THE LEGAL PREMISE THAT EVERY IVORY ITEM IS ILLEGAL UNTIL THE OWNER PROVES IT THRU DOCUMENTATION THAT THE AGENTS CHOOSE TO ACCEPT AT THEIR DESCRETION. THE TRAINING OF AGENTS WILL NO DOUBT STRESS HARSH ENFORCMENT AND GUILTY UNTIL PROVEN INNOCENT AND ALL PROOF SUSPECT OR TO BE IGNORED.
ALL IVORY ITEMS I HAVE ARE LEGAL BUT I AM SURE WHAT I HAVE WRITTEN DOWN ABOUT WHEN, WHERE AND HOW I GOT THEM WOULD NOT BE CONSIDERED AS PROOF BY ANY GOVERNMENT ENFORCMENT PEOPLE. HOW MANY ANTIQUE ITEMS IN OUR COLLECTIONS ARE LEGALLY DOCUMENTED TO BE OVER 100 YEARS OLD. NOT MANY ALTHOUGH I PERSONALLY KNOW THRU EXPERIENCE WHICH ONES ARE I DOUBT I COULD PROVE IT TO THE SATISFACTION OF AN AGENT WHO WOULD NO DOUBT CONSIDER ME A BAD GUY FOR HAVING PROHIBITED IVORY. EVEN ITEMS I HAVE PERSONALLY HAD IN MY POSESSION SINCE PRE BAN TIMES WOULD ONLY HAVE MY WORD AND PERHAPS WRITTEN INFORMATION WHICH WILL BE WORTH NOTHING AS LEGAL PROOF.
I AM FOR THE PROTECTION OF ANIMAL AND PLANT SPECIES AND PROPER MANAGMENT OF THEIR NATURAL HABITATS; I TOO ABHOR WHAT IS DONE BY POACHERS AND FEEL THEY SHOULD BE DELT WITH HARSHLY. BUT OFTEN LAWS SUCH AS THIS ONE DON'T STOP THE POACHERS BUT CAN SINGLE OUT COLLECTORS THE WORLD OVER NOT ENVOLVED IN POACHING AT ALL. TO OWN A ITEM MADE OF IVORY SHOULD NOT MAKE YOU AS GUILTY AS A POACHER OR SMUGGLER.
TO RISK CONFISCATION, A HUGE FINE AND PRISION TRYING TO SELL AN OLD IVORY ITEM TO SOMEONE WHO WOULD APPRECIATE AND CHERISH IT AS I HAVE FOR YEARS OR JUST TO BURN IT LIKE THE MANY TONS OF CONFISCATED IVORY BURNS EACH YEAR TO AVOID THE TROUBLE.
NO DOUBT EXAMPLES WILL BE MADE AND LIVES RUINED INNOCENT AS WELL AS GUILTY. AND PERHAPS A VERY SAD ENDING FOR SOME BEAUTIFUL OLD WORKS OF IVORY ART.
GOOD WELL INFORMED MANAGMENT AND USE OF RESOURCES FOCUSED IN THE AREAS WHERE THEY CAN DO THE MOST GOOD IS MUCH MORE EFFECTIVE THAN DESTRUCTION OF VALUABLE RESOURCES AND LAWS SUCH AS THIS VAUGE ALL ENCOMPASSING ONE.
