- Monogr. Eben. 191: (1873).
Very expensive hardwoods are expensive because they are so rare and poaching is illegal. FINALLY, it is illegal in the USA.
It is not a jobs issue, as a matter of fact it is a NON-Issue except for Gibson Guitar.
...The raids (click title to entry - thank you) at two Nashville facilities and one in Memphis recalled a similar raid in Nashville in November 2009, when agents seized a shipment of ebony from Madagascar. They were enforcing the Lacey Act, a century-old endangered species law that was amended in 2008 to include plants as well as animals. But Juszkiewicz says the government won't tell him exactly how — or if — his company has violated that law....
In the last decade the Tropical Hardwoods of the world have come into demand with special 'cerifications' that guarantee they are harvested from SUSTAINABLE forests.
The countries that were suffering the losses were able to develop an organization to protect the interest of these nations and their people. The organization is called: CITES - Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (click here).
In many countries around the world there are endangered species of forest and the countries want to stop THE POACHING. What Gibson Guitar did was to receive poached hardwoods from Madagascar. it is a violation of international laws and they are wrong.
They made the purchase and they didn't care and figured that once the products were made and distributed, "Well, too bad."
The species in question is Madagascar Ebony (click here). These are regulated forests that are harvested from time to time when it is safe for them to be harvested and they are sold for high prices. Poaching of hardwoods is illegal. This is INTERNATIONAL law and the USA is required to enforce that law.
Gibson Guitar has a problem. They accepted a shipment of poached hardwood from Madagascar. Whether they did it willingly or without knowing is except perhaps to the judge they can plead their case to. I suggest Gibson Guitar find a 'qualified buyer' for their enterprise so their workers are experiencing some trauma in regard to the practice of their trade and their 'cash flow' is uninterrupted.
Do I believe this is relevant to a JOBS ISSUE? Absolutely not, this is about the USA upholding international treaties and that is not funny business. In 2008 the antiquated law was FINALLY updated to include plants as well as animals.
This is just another example of the definition the Right Wing give to American Exceptionalism. They expect everything Americans do be above the law. Americans to the Right Wing are exempted from any impingement upon profits including ETHICAL standards of governments, unions and citizens.
