NEW YORK – On Friday, June 19, U.S. Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell will attend the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's (FWS) second “Ivory Crush ” in New York City's Times Square, at which an industrial rock crusher will be used to destroy more than one ton of confiscated ivory.
The event calls awareness to a growing poaching crisis that is rapidly pushing populations of African elephants, rhinos and other species towards extinction. In November 2013, the FWS crushed six tons of seized ivory, inspiring nine other countries – including China and France – to follow suit with their own crushes and burns.
The President's July 2013 Executive Order established the White House Advisory Council on Wildlife Trafficking – chaired by Secretary Jewell – as well as a task force to develop and implement a National Strategy for Combating Wildlife Trafficking.
As stated in the Order, wildlife trafficking reduces the economic, social and environmental benefits of wildlife while generating billions of dollars in illicit revenues each year, contributing to an illegal economy, fueling instability and undermining security.
WHO
Sally Jewell, U.S. Secretary of the Interior
Dan Ashe, Director, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
R. Gil Kerlikowske, Commissioner, U.S. Customs and Border Protection
Grace Meng, U.S. Congresswoman (NY)
John Calvelli, Executive Vice President, Wildlife Conservation Society
Major Joseph Schneider, NYSDEC Division of Law Enforcement Acting Director
Brad Hoylman, State Senator, New York
WHAT
“Ivory Crush” in Times Square of more than one ton of confiscated ivory
WHEN
Friday, June 19, 2015
8:00 a.m. – Media setup begins
9:30 a.m. – Deadline for setting up media equipment
10:30 a.m. – Speaking program begins
11:00 a.m. – Ivory crush and media availability
WHERE
Times Square Broadway between 46th Street and 47th Street New York, NY 10036
MEDIA
Credentialed members of the media must RSVP to ivorycrush_media@fws.gov in order to gain access. For media unable to attend, the event will be live-streamed at: http://original.livestream.com/usfws.
Source: Department of Interior
