Tell Bush: Stop the importation of endangered species!
The Bush administration is proposing to allow commercial trade in endangered species for the first time in over thirty years. This radical proposal would dramatically weaken the protections for over 550 foreign species - including jaguars, elephants, and orangutans - now covered by the Endangered Species Act.
The Bush administration's proposal supports the idea of killing species in order to save them, and endorses the importation of endangered animals and body parts to benefit their conservation. But this proposal includes no standards to verify that any of the money spent on importing endangered animals or body parts actually goes to conservation, and is so vague that it practically invites fraud and illegal trade.
The illegal international trade in wildlife and wildlife products is worth billions of dollars annually. And legal trade in wildlife body parts invariably leads to increased illegal trade and poaching, creating a market for previously illegal wildlife. This proposal could lead to a resumption of the ivory trade in Africa; the capture of Asian elephants for U.S. circuses and zoos; and the importation of endangered wild parrots for the U.S. pet industry.
Please stand up for endangered species today! Tell Secretary of the Interior Gale Norton and President Bush that you oppose their proposal to allow importation of endangered species.
Dear President Bush and Secretary Norton -
I am writing to oppose your proposal to change the rules governing the importation of endangered species and body parts under the Endangered Species Act.
The proposed change would undermine the basic principles of the Endangered Species Act by opening the doors to wider trade in foreign endangered species and would not be in the best interest of the long-term survival of these species. This proposal would mark a dramatic reinterpretation of the Act that would have far-reaching consequences for the over 550 foreign species protected by the Act.
The Endangered Species Act reflects America's strong commitment to protecting endangered species wherever they are found. The Bush administration and the Interior Department should respect and uphold that commitment, rather than rewrite the rules to the detriment of endangered species both at home and abroad.
Please uphold the Endangered Species Act, and drop your proposal to expand the importation of foreign endangered species.
Thank you,
[Your name]
