Wildlife Conservation Society Asks 'Antiques Roadshow' To Halt Ivory Appraisals

The Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) and its "96 Elephants" campaign have launched an effort to halt on-air appraisals of ivory on the PBS series "Antiques Roadshow."

"Thirty-five thousand elephants were slaughtered last year due to the demand for ivory," said John Calvelli, WCS Executive Vice President for Public Affairs and Director of the 96 Elephants campaigns in a statement. "We know that the legal trade has a confusing set of loopholes that allows the black market trade to thrive. We believe that 'Antiques Roadshow' has a moral obligation to do the right thing and halt ivory appraisals as while this crisis rages on.”

"Antiques Roadshow" appraisers regularly do on-air spotlights of ivory objects, although they do mention in the segments that there are restrictions on the sale of ivory. But the WCS argues that mentioning the value of ivory helps perpetuate a black market that is especially robust in Asia.

A spokesperson for the show points to this statement from the producers of "Antiques Roadshow," which is also available on the show's web site:

Antiques Roadshow selects items for broadcast or webcast on a case-by-case basis. In addition to editorial considerations, the series’ producers examine whether the inclusion of such objects offers an opportunity to educate the public about the historical and cultural issues they represent. Antiques Roadshow recognizes there are objects in the marketplace that are controversial or distasteful and will exercise discretion with respect to such items.  

In the series inclusion of ivory, Antiques Roadshow is compliant with CITES (the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora) and adheres to the international legislation which determines conservation law for endangered species. The series also does not appraise post-1989 ivory objects, when ivory was banned. When dealing with this complex issue, Antiques Roadshow strives to offer context.

As journalists we are closely following the Fish and Wildlife Service as they consider additional controls and legislation around antique ivory.  At the core of our series is a mission to educate through objects and their historic significance, but also to report on the current antiques marketplace.  We will continue to keep our audience informed on this topic and reflect changes in legislation as they develop.

96 Elephants was named for the number of elephants gunned down each day for their ivory. 96 Elephants partners include more than 100 North American zoos and aquariums, along with the Bodhi Tree Foundation, DD&B Worldwide, Enough Project, ESRI, Horizon Media, Hotel Plaza Athanee, Ocean Park Conservation Foundation, Organization of Young Citizens of Guinea, The Resolve: LRA Crisis Initiative, Invisible Children, and Tsavo Trust.

The Obama Administration recently announced a federal ban on most ivory sales and legislation has been introduced in New York and Hawaii to ban all ivory sales in the respective states.

"We recognize that Antiques Roadshow has the unique ability to reach a broad audience to help protect Africa’s elephants," said Calvelli. "We urge them to join our campaign and take a stand against ivory by ending on-air appraisals."

The story has been updated with a statement from the producers of "Antiques Roadshow."