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A bill to ban ivory in Connecticut pits animal rights activists against collectors

  • Seized ivory elephant tusks are displayed during a press conference...

    ANTHONY WALLACE/Getty

    Seized ivory elephant tusks are displayed during a press conference at the Kwai Chung Customhouse Cargo Examination Compound in Hong Kong on Feb. 1, 2019. Hong Kong customs officers unveiled a record seizure of pangolin scales on Feb. 1, the latest huge haul to underscore the city's central role in the lucrative and booming illegal wildlife trade. (Anthony Wallace / AFP/Getty Images)

  • An elephant drinks at a watering hole at the Tsavo...

    Getty Images

    An elephant drinks at a watering hole at the Tsavo National Park in July 2011. The illegal ivory trade continues to threaten the species.

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Connecticut lawmakers are once again contemplating a ban on the import, sale and purchase of ivory and rhinoceros horn. Similar bills have been proposed in the past but did not win passage after concerns were raised by antique dealers and collectors who feared their ivory treasures would be rendered worthless.

An elephant drinks at a watering hole at the Tsavo National Park in July 2011. The illegal ivory trade continues to threaten the species.
An elephant drinks at a watering hole at the Tsavo National Park in July 2011. The illegal ivory trade continues to threaten the species.

What would the bill do?

House Bill 5394 would prohibit the trade of ivory and rhinoceros horn if it was taken from the wild after February 26, 1976.

“The illegal wildlife trade is a multibillion-dollar global industry that affects millions of animals and communities around the world. Wild animals such as elephants and rhinos are killed in massive numbers and suffer from horrific cruelty. Poachers brutally kill elephants and harvest their tusks, sometimes while the animal is still alive,” Annie Hornish, Connecticut director of the Humane Society of the United States, and Iris Ho of Human Society International wrote in a letter to the legislature’s environment committee, which held a hearing on the proposal Friday.

“This type of legislation will stop the sale of ivory and rhino horn in Connecticut and ensure that our residents do not unwittingly contribute to the illegal wildlife trade,” Hornish and Ho wrote.

This Martin Guitar from 1843-48 owned by John H.B. Peden and made of spruce, rosewood, ivory and mother-of-pearl is part of Early American Guitars: The Instruments of C.F. Martin at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City Jan. 14-Dec. 7.
This Martin Guitar from 1843-48 owned by John H.B. Peden and made of spruce, rosewood, ivory and mother-of-pearl is part of Early American Guitars: The Instruments of C.F. Martin at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City Jan. 14-Dec. 7.

How would a ban affect the antiques industry?

The bill would allow the sale of ivory that is part of an antique if it was removed from the wild before 1976 and it is a fixed component of a larger manufactured item. The bill also exempts museums and educational institutions and does not apply to ivory that is part of a musical instrument manufactured before 1976. It would also permit owners of ivory antiques to pass them on to their heirs.

Rep. Mitch Bolinsky said it is critical for lawmakers to pass the bill, “for not just conservation but also for the preservation of a very important industry in the state of Connecticut, which is the antiques business.”

Bolinsky, a Republican from Newtown, said the legislation reflects the concerns of museums and dealers who trade “ethically acquired, legally owned historical objects.”

Brandy Culp, curator of American decorative arts at the Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art, urged lawmakers to tread carefully when crafting the policy.

“The protection of endangered species and the preservation of genuine antiques are not in confict,” Culp said. “The museum deplores the senseless killing of big game animals and wants to discourage the illicit ivory and rhinoceros horn trade. However, we believe this legislation co-mingles a desire to preserve and protect animals in the wild with issues that may negatively impact the antiquities market and the preservation of cultural property.”

Seized ivory elephant tusks are displayed during a press conference at the Kwai Chung Customhouse Cargo Examination Compound in Hong Kong on Feb. 1, 2019. Hong Kong customs officers unveiled a record seizure of pangolin scales on Feb. 1, the latest huge haul to underscore the city's central role in the lucrative and booming illegal wildlife trade. (Anthony Wallace / AFP/Getty Images)
Seized ivory elephant tusks are displayed during a press conference at the Kwai Chung Customhouse Cargo Examination Compound in Hong Kong on Feb. 1, 2019. Hong Kong customs officers unveiled a record seizure of pangolin scales on Feb. 1, the latest huge haul to underscore the city’s central role in the lucrative and booming illegal wildlife trade. (Anthony Wallace / AFP/Getty Images)

What do animal rights groups say?

They are seeking to amend the bill by eliminating the exemption for antique dealers. A complete prohibition on ivory sales would put Connecticut in line with New York, New Jersey and other states, said Jo-Anne Basile, executive director of CT Votes for Animals. “Connecticut needs to take action now to ensure that the state is not used as an illegal point of entry as other states shutter their doors by passing prohibitions,” she said.

Isn’t there already a federal law banning the importation of ivory?

The U.S. is one of 179 countries that are parties to an international treaty that restricts international trade of certain plants and animals. But many advocates say federal restrictions have not stopped the illegal ivory trade, particularly in areas that do not have local or state prohibitions.

What happens next?

The environment committee will likely vote on the measure later this spring. The legislation would then move to the full House of Representatives for consideration.

An undated photograph released on July 28, 2015, by the Zimbabwe Parks & Wildlife Management Authority, or ZIMPARKS, showing Cecil, Zimbabwe's most famous lion, who was killed by American dentist Walter Palmer on July 1. EFE
An undated photograph released on July 28, 2015, by the Zimbabwe Parks & Wildlife Management Authority, or ZIMPARKS, showing Cecil, Zimbabwe’s most famous lion, who was killed by American dentist Walter Palmer on July 1. EFE

Is the committee reviewing any other animal-related bills?

Friday’s public hearing agenda contained several other bills, including a measure that would prohibit the import sale and possession of six large animals native to Africa: the African elephant, the African lion, the African leopard, the black rhinoceros, the white rhinoceros and the African giraffe. The ban would extend to “any part, product or offspring” of the animals, including their dead bodies. It would exempt fossilized remains.

The bill has been named in honor of Cecil the Lion, a beloved lion from Zimbabwe who was fatally wounded by an American dentist and recreational big game hunter.

“This incident brought to our attention the plight of many endangered species around the world,” Senate Majority Leader Bob Duff said in written testimony. “It is not sporting or acceptable in today’s society to ambush and murder these amazing creatures.”

Old items in museums would not be subject to the prohibition; it would only apply to new imports.

The Motion Picture Association of America requested an exemption for television and film producers, provided a trained handler is retained to ensure the animal is treated appropriately.

Duff and Rep. Brenda Kupchick, two of the measure’s sponsors, have submitted similar legislation in the past.

Daniela Altimari can be reached at dnaltimari@courant.com.