Ivory poaching for tusks is the main reason that elephants have been so heavily hunted. Elephant ivory has been used in huge amounts to make billiards balls, piano keys, identification chops and many other items for human enjoyment. Although hunting for ivory has been much more severe in Africa, there is no doubt that hunting and poaching has had an effect on the elephant numbers in Asia. In 1989, the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) banned the ivory trade putting hunting outside the law. Poaching does still take place, but in most of the Asian elephants ranges it is under control.