endangered animal imports
the archives
The last few dribbles...
- -
Wednesday, Jul. 06, 2005
good-bye diaryland -
Thursday, Jan. 13, 2005
Social Security -
Thursday, Jan. 13, 2005
save the arctic refuge -
Tuesday, Jan. 11, 2005
it's surreal -
Tuesday, Jan. 11, 2005
the latest entry
~ the ikss guestbook ~
email the ikss
notes to the ikss
The Usual Suspects (Cast)
the ikss Mission Statement: Please Read
the ikss bio
the ikss profile, including favorite diaryland links
somebody out there loves me
�Once in his life, every man is entitled to fall madly in love with a gorgeous redhead�
-Lucille Ball
"To announce that there must be no criticism of the President, or that we are to stand by the President, right or wrong, is not only unpatriotic and servile, but is morally treasonable to the American public."
--Theodore Roosevelt, 1918
REGISTER TO VOTE
"The time is always right to do what is right"
- Martin Luther King, Jr.
"The "seven social sins": Knowledge without character,
Science without humanity,
Wealth without work,
Commerce without morality,
Politics without principles,
Pleasure without conscience,
Worship without self-sacrifice."
--Gandhi
"We have not inherited the world from our forfathers -
We have borrowed it from our children."
--Kashmiri, proverb
Over 350 scientists from the world conservation community released a letter to the Bush administration yesterday, protesting a "highly dubious" policy change that could send many endangered species into extinction.
The letter charges the administration with using questionable science to justify changes to trade policy under the Endangered Species Act. The Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) announced the proposed change last fall.[1]
If enacted, the revised policy would allow imports of endangered species, or products derived from such species, "to encourage in-situ conservation of foreign-listed species."[2]
The scientists note that the FWS has not defined standards or methods for monitoring the implementation and effectiveness of such programs, citing examples of "unanticipated and sometimes catastrophic" results from trade in endangered species, including increased hunting, fewer births, and greater infant mortality. "These disruptions can lead to substantial population declines and, in some circumstances, to total population collapse."[3]
"As scientists and wildlife professionals, we recognize the intuitive appeal of sustainable use as a source of much-needed conservation funding, particularly in less-developed countries," the letter states. "The history of negative outcomes from such programs counsels strongly against extractive use as a conservation tool for species already in danger of extinction."[4]
Signatories to the letter include world-renowned scientists Jane Goodall, Edward O. Wilson, and George Schaller.
While there may be a combination of interests behind the proposed trade rule change, one likely source of pressure is the trophy hunting industry. The Deputy of Fish and Wildlife, Matt Hogan, is a former lobbyist for the Safari Club, and served as Director of Conservation Policy for four years for the Congressional Sportsmen's Foundation.[5]
John Kostyack of the National Wildlife Federation also notes that while the connection is not certain, "the pet trade is a multi-million dollar industry that would also benefit from relaxed rules for importing exotic tropical fish and birds."
Kostyack emphasized the lack of good science or good policy behind the administration's arguments for increasing trade in endangered species. "Scientists who've been in the field are saying there are no checks that ensure the conservation is happening," he stated, "or that the last member of a species isn't being harvested."
TAKE ACTION
Submit a comment to Fish & Wildlife Service and ask them to reverse policy that expands the import of endangered species.
SOURCES:
[1] Defenders of Wildlife Press Release.
[2] Federal Register Vol. 68 No. 175, Wednesday, September 10, 2003.
[3] Defender's letter, Mar. 4, 2004.
[4] Ibid.
[5] Fish and Wildlife Service website.
~~~
Word of the Day for Tuesday March 9, 2004
truckle TRUHK-uhl, intransitive verb:
To yield or bend obsequiously to the will of another; to act in a subservient manner.
last / next
~~~~~~~~~~~peace, love and smooches~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Don't know why you'd wanna, but on the off-chance you may feel tempted to steal any of my words and claim them as your own, please be advised:
All material
Copyright 2002-2005, Howl-at-the-Moon Words
***DISCLAIMER: These are my thoughts and my thoughts alone. If you know me in my "real life" off the net and have come across this page purely by accident, please keep in mind that you were not invited here and I would suggest you leave this page now. However, should you choose not to do so, please be warned that reading my thoughts here is not an invitation to discuss them off-line. You may discover things you do not know about me and may not like very much. Such is life. Again, this is MY space and I will use it as I see fit. If you are offended by anything here, well that's pretty much your own fault at this point.
I say all of this with love, of course, but there it is.
