Ivory Trade Ban Effectiveness

The 1989 CITES ivory trade ban outpaces Trophy Hunting in reducing elephant poaching, cutting it by 68% in some regions. Southern African nations like Botswana and Zimbabwe argue their 200,000-strong well-managed herds should fund conservation through legal sales of $500 million in stockpiled ivory. However, the ban is 30% more effective than the average moratorium in curbing illicit trade, yet critics claim it fuels black markets and ignores community needs.