Reignite the ivory trade for conservation?

A contrarian take on the ivory trade ban, this Forbes article says that reopening the market for ivory products could assist in elephant conservation and putting an end to the black market trade, recalling the arguments for legalising the trade and use of drugs in some countries. One (of numerous) well-argued commenters suggest that the author completely ignored the fact that centuries of unregulated trade in ivory had decimated elephant populations, particularly in Asia. Poached to scarcity, traders has had to move Africa.
http://www.forbes.com/sites/dougbandow/2013/01/21/when-you-ban-the-sale-of-ivory-you-ban-elephants/