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Why did the international trade in ivory face a ban under CITES in 1990?

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Inupiat shaman's figure. — ivory carving Kinugumiut Inupiat incised walrus ivory shaman's figure, c. 1890; in the National Museum of the American Indian, George Gustav Heye Center, Smithsonian Institution, New York City.

The international trade in ivory was banned under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) in 1990 primarily to address the catastrophic decline of African elephant populations caused by poaching.12

During the 1980s, the commercial demand for ivory led to the decimation of the species, with the population of African elephants in the wild falling by more than half—from approximately 1,300,000 to 600,000—between 1979 and 1989. Poachers were responsible for this rapid reduction, effectively halving the population in that decade alone. By implementing this ban, CITES aimed to eliminate the commercial incentive for poaching and ensure the survival of the species, as the convention is designed to prevent international trade from threatening the existence of endangered animals.213

While the ban was a critical conservation measure, it is important to note that illegal black-market operations persisted, and the trade has faced ongoing challenges as demand shifted to different regions.1