eBay Bans Cross-Border Ivory Sales

Although it stops short of an all-out ban like some wildlife activists are looking for, eBay said Tuesday it will no longer allow cross-border sales of ivory.

The International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) accused the site in mid-May of not following its own wildlife policies, and in some cases aiding the illegal trade of the material in as many as nine out of every ten listings.

It appears, however, that the two sides have come to an agreement as the IFAW announced that it had worked out an arrangement with the auction site for stricter enforcement regarding its ivory trade.

eBay will alert traders of ivory that they may be required to prove their legal right to sell the material in order to keep their listings on the site. However, it has stopped short of banning it altogether.

Ivory that predates a 1975 treaty is legally permissible to trade across national borders. However, animal rights activists argue that it is becoming more difficult to ascertain whether a sale is domestic or international, and are saying a total ban will eventually be needed.

"IFAW believes that this is an important step forward, but that a total ban is ultimately needed, and we will continue to work with eBay and others to implement this," the organizations anti-wildlife trade chief Peter Pueschel said.