Terry Smythe wrote:

> I have been told in harsh terms by the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Services
> inspector in North Dakota that he will seize any product containing
> natural ivory, and the trailer it's in and the truck hauling it, no
> different than if it were drugs, regardless of the presence of a
> Canada issued Pre-Convention Certificate, if it is not an "antique".

It sounds a bit like "Go tell it to the chaplain," but this is
precisely the sort of thing that you should write to your Congressman
about.

Going after officious bureaucrats, especially if the issue is as
well-defined as this, is the sort of thing Congressmen love to do.
What'll happen is that a Congressional aide will write a letter to the
Department of the Interior, or whoever is in charge of these guys, and
ask for an explanation.  It's great publicity: an issue that everyone
can understand.

The post that you've written in 000520 MMDigest would make a perfectly
fine letter.  Let us know how it comes out.

Mark Kinsler
-- purveyor of gold, ivory, silks and apes.  But mostly advice.
http://www.frognet.net/~kinsler

 [ Maybe the US government could be reassured that new pianos no longer
 [ use animal ivory, and so piano production isn't a threat.  The
 [ regulations should be amended to clarify this for the inspectors.
 [ Otherwise they'll simply continue doing their job.  -- Robbie