Each country that participates in CITES issues a permit for the sale of all legal wildlife or plant species.Species listed by CITES are not permitted.At trade sites, merchandise is counted and checked to ensure its legality.In this way, the CITES agreement helps limit illegal trade in endangered species.What recent factor in elephant conservation has made enforcement of the CITES agreement less useful?
A) Elephants are now being killed so people can sell ivory to fund conservation efforts.
B) Legal or sanctioned ivory is now mixed with poached ivory and cannot be distinguished.
C) Elephants are no longer endangered, so CITES is no longer needed.
D) Elephants from all countries can now be legally sold, so CITES is no longer useful.
E) Elephant poaching is no longer a problem, so CITES is no longer needed.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The recent factor in elephant conservation that has made enforcement of the CITES agreement less useful is that legal or sanctioned ivory is now mixed with poached ivory and cannot be distinguished. This makes it difficult for authorities to determine the legality of ivory trade, which undermines the effectiveness of CITES in limiting illegal trade in endangered species.

Each Country That Participates in CITES Issues a Permit for the Sale