In Tuesday’s Global News (Canada), Nick Logan reports, “The Obama administration announced a new National Strategy for Combating Wildlife Trafficking in February and quickly moved to forbid any items containing African elephant ivory from moving across U.S. borders. The restrictions came into enforcement in early March. There are considerations for musicians who can prove any ivory in their instrument was legally acquired before 1976 and is accompanied by a CITES musical instrument passport. But that’s not easy to get on short notice. Even with the special document, there are only certain U.S. points of exit and entry you can pass through with the ivory.” The article reports on a Canadian violinist concerned about crossing the border with his bow, which has a small amount of ivory, and on the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra, which has its “own issues with the ivory ban to deal with: The WSO is set to have its first-ever performance in the United states, at New York’s Carnegie Hall on May 8. The orchestra has approximately 26 bows—for violin, cello or bass—that contain pieces of ivory and one bassoon that also has an ivory component.”
Posted April 18, 2014
