Signet, Tiffany Sign On to Stop Wildlife Trafficking

New York--A number of major players in the jewelry industry have banded together with the U.S. Wildlife Trafficking Alliance to keep illegal animal products off the market.

Richline Group, Rio Grande, Signet Jewelers and Tiffany & Co. are among the 16 companies that announced a commitment to support the fight against wildlife trafficking on World Wildlife Day, which was March 3.

The commitments these companies made include taking steps to ensure its supply chains are free from illegal wildlife products and communicating with consumers about the pervasive problem of wildlife trafficking in the United States.

Richline Group specifically said it would keep the elimination of wildlife trafficking in its best practices discussion, and also assist companies that want to update their codes of conduct through the newly introduced IvoryFreeJewelry.com, a website that, as of press time, was still under construction.

“The only way to stop wildlife trafficking is to band together, continue the jewelry industry’s existing steadfastness to legal compliance and to stop supply and demand,” said Mark Hanna, chief marketing officer at the Berkshire Hathaway-owned Richline Group. “Everyone in this industry has an essential part to play.”

According to the U.S. Wildlife Trafficking Alliance, the U.S.’s efforts to save at-risk species around the globe has long been backed by National Geographic, the World Wildlife Fund, the Wildlife Conservation Society and the African Wildlife Foundation.

In 2014, the Obama administration produced a National Strategy for Combating Wildlife Trafficking and put out a call to corporations and non-governmental organizations to join in the Alliance’s efforts. Ralph Lauren, Google, Etsy, JetBlue Airways and the Bronx Zoo are just some of the corporations that have offered their support.

A complete list of the Alliance’s partners can be found on USWTA.org.

“Worldwide demand for ivory and other illegal wildlife products is decimating iconic wildlife populations and supporting international criminal syndicates that are destabilizing governments and supporting terrorists groups,” said David J. Hayes, chair of the U.S. Wildlife Trafficking Alliance. “By putting our wallets in line with our values, we can work together to protect these treasured species for the benefit of our planet, our security and future generations.”

The jewelry industry giants signing onto the fight against wildlife trafficking comes after new regulations proposed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services that could make it illegal to commercially sell, transfer or deliver African elephant ivory, as well as the more recent news that it will accept