Pallets of seized ivory. Photo: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
In Tuesday’s (12/19) Ludwig Van (Toronto), Anya Wassenberg writes, “Canada’s upcoming ivory ban will make life a little more complicated for some orchestral musicians…. On November 20, 2023, the Honourable Steven Guilbeault, Minister of Environment and Climate Change announced upcoming legislation that will severely restrict the trade of elephant and rhinoceros ivory in Canada. The new measures come into effect after January 8, 2024…. While legislation against the ivory trade has been in force for decades, many string players perform with instruments that contain small amounts of ivory. Certainly, for those who perform with centuries-old instruments, the odds are good that it will contain ivory…. It’s commonly found in many instruments … In Canada, CITES [Convention on the International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora] is enacted via the Wild Animal and Plant Protection and Regulation of International and Interprovincial Trade Act and the Wild Animal and Plant Trade Regulations… The Canadian ban will be among the world’s strictest, and in fact goes beyond CITES policy.” The League of American Orchestra’s Traveling with Ivory: Canada Announces New Permit Rules webpage offers essential information about the permits.
