IFAW asks eBay to stop selling ivory

Last week, IFAW released a report showing how the Internet auction site eBay facilitates the trade in illegal wildlife products, especially ivory.  In a study of eight international eBay sites (including the United States), IFAW found that over 90% of the ivory products listed for sale violated eBay's own regulations for the sale of wildlife products.  The buying and selling of ivory on eBay is such an anonymous activity that it's almost impossible to regulate, and IFAW is asking eBay to ban the sale of all ivory from its sites.  It will prevent the sale of illegal ivory, and protect buyers who may unwittingly participate in illegal trade, not knowing they're contributing to the extinction of endangered species.  eBay has assured IFAW that they'll be reviewing their wildlife policies in the coming weeks.

The high-tech twist to this report has made it the subject of broad attention in the blogosphere.  Science bloggers like Wired Science and Sequitur featured the story, as did the techie blog AppScout.  Internationally, the topic is being discussed in dozens of different languages, putting additional pressure on eBay to make changes.

Read the new report, Bidding for Extinction.

Find out more about illegal trade in wildlife products via the Internet.

Sign IFAW's pledge to not buy wildlife souvenirs