Etsy recently announced that it would no longer allow products to be sold on its site that are made from certain animals, such as those designated as threatened or endangered.
Jeff Flocken, North America Regional Director for IFAW issued the following statement.
Congratulations to Etsy
for stepping up to the plate in prohibiting the sale of ivory and all other
products made from endangered species. By reconsidering its wildlife policies,
Etsy joins eBay as a leader in saving wildlife on the web. eBay voluntarily
banned all animal ivory from its sites globally in 2008 after the release of the
IFAW investigative report, Killing with Keystrokes. Now other web
platforms like Craigslist, Bonanza and Google Shop should follow suit and do the
same. Just last week on these three sites IFAW found ivory, live parrots and
tortoises, monkey bone, and even rhino horn, all available for sale. We hope
that these websites will follow the example of Etsy and eBay and move quickly to
put an end to the illicit wildlife trade occurring
on-line.
To view and download a full copy of
Killing With Keystrokes: http://www.ifaw.org/united-states/node/900
About IFAW (the International Fund
for Animal Welfare)
Founded in 1969, IFAW saves animals
in crisis around the world. With projects in more than 40 countries, IFAW
rescues individual animals, works to prevent cruelty to animals, and advocates
for the protection of wildlife and habitats. For more information, visit www.ifaw.org. Follow
us on Facebook and Twitter.
About Kiling with Keystrokes:
The rise of the Internet has revolutionized the way we exchange ideas, information and merchandise. This is largely due to the medium’s ability to facilitate communications and new commercial and social connections around the globe. However, as a result, the Internet is also facilitating the illegal trade in wildlife, which is having a devastating effect on animals, ecosystems and the communities that rely on them worldwide, making it one of the major wildlife conservation challenges of our generation.