Fish and Wildlife Service raid Gibson Guitars

US Fish and Wildlife Service has raided Gibson Guitars due to concerns that the beloved guitar manufacturer is using rare, endangered and protected wood to make their legendary fretboards. The company counts musicians like Brian Fallon of Gaslight Anthem, Dave Grohl of Foo Fighters, Billie Joe Armstrong of Green Day, Greg Hetson of Bad Religion, Sergie Loobkoff of Samiam, Woody Guthrie, George Harrison and many others among their sponsored musicians and fans. The Wall Street Journal reports:

The question in the first raid seemed to be whether Gibson had been buying illegally harvested hardwoods from protected forests, such as the Madagascar ebony that makes for such lovely fretboards. And if Gibson did knowingly import illegally harvested ebony from Madagascar, that wouldn't be a negligible offense. Peter Lowry, ebony and rosewood expert at the Missouri Botanical Garden, calls the Madagascar wood trade the "equivalent of Africa's blood diamonds." But with the new raid, the government seems to be questioning whether some wood sourced from India met every regulatory jot and tittle.

Gibson has responded as well:

Gibson is innocent and will fight to protect its rights. Gibson has complied with foreign laws and believes it is innocent of ANY wrong doing. We will fight aggressively to prove our innocence. The Federal Department of Justice in Washington, D.C. has suggested that the use of wood from India that is not finished by Indian workers is illegal, not because of U.S. law, but because it is the Justice Department's interpretation of a law in India.