eBay Said to be Allowing Illegal Ivory Sales

eBay has been criticized for its participation in the "rampant trade" of ivory on its site, with the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) saying 90 percent of the listings on the site for elephant ivory it found violate the site's own wildlife policies. The group is pushing the auction site to ban the trade of ivory on its pages entirely, as the elephant is facing extinction due to continuing trade of the valuable material.

A survey was conducted in eight countries, including the UK, Australia, China, Germany, the Netherlands, France, Canada and the USA, which found over 2,200 listings. IFAW argues that sellers are being permitted to list items without much oversight. Furthermore, few of the illegal items reported to eBay by the IFAW were removed, it claimed. "In general it is illegal to sell carved or uncarved ivory unless it is antique and accompanied by a proof of age certificate," the IFAW says.