WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, Congresswoman Madeleine Dean (PA-04) led a letter with Congressional colleagues to urge the Prime Minister of Japan Fumio Kishida to close Japan’s domestic ivory market in order to protect elephants from the threat of poaching, hunting, and slaughter. The letter echoed the appeal of Secretaries of State Hillary Clinton and James Baker III to end the sale and trade of elephant ivory.
Many other countries with large consumer economies have already taken steps to close their ivory markets — including the United States, China, the United Kingdom, Singapore, Hong Kong, Taiwan, and Israel. Japan has the largest remaining legal ivory market.
“We must work together, as an international community, to protect elephants and support conservation,” Rep. Dean said. “It is essential to our ecosysytem, planet, and future generations. I am hopeful that Prime Minister Kishida will take our concerns to heart.”
The letter was signed by Representatives Blumenauer, Suozzi, Lieu, McBath, Barragán, DeFazio, Quigley, McNerney, Huffman, Wild, Grijslva, DelBene, Fitzpatrick, Davids, Adams, Stevens, Larsen, Nadler, Doyle, Sánchez, Schakowsky.
A copy of the letter can be found here.
Rep. Madeleine Dean is a mother, grandmother, attorney, professor, former four-term member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives, and U.S. Representative for the Fourth District of Pennsylvania.
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