STATUS OF PENDING LAWS
CECIL ACT LANGUAGE INCLUDED IN APPROPRIATIONS BILL
CECIL Act language would effectively eliminate hunting revenue without providing an alternative ; putting vulnerable wildlife at great risk .
The U . S . House of Representatives voted to approve a federal appropriations bill , HR 7608 , which combined several appropriation bills . This legislation would fund a number of federal agencies , including the Department of the Interior . The bill , unfortunately , included language under Section 436 from HR 7612 that would harm sportsmen and African conservation .
That language was pulled directly from the anti-hunting legislation known as the CECIL Act , which would prohibit any dollars spent by the U . S . Fish and Wildlife Service ( USFWS ) to process and issue import permits for hunted animals from Africa , such as elephants or lions . The legislation would place significant restrictions on internationally accepted hunting practices by severely restricting the import of taxidermy and likely will increase the cost of obtaining a permit . The end goal of this language is a total import ban on elephant and lions harvested in Zambia , Zimbabwe and Tanzania .
The anti-hunting legislation jammed into this funding bill punishes lawabiding sportsmen by short-circuiting science so that permit applications cannot even be considered on their merits by USFWS biologists . Additionally , circumstances where there is a benefit to a species due to the funding provided by the hunting community for anti-poaching and conservation efforts would be prohibited . Under current law , the USFWS issues import permits for hunts that occur in countries that maintain sound conservation policies to protect threatened and endangered wildlife . The specific language used is the first step in eventually outlawing all forms of African hunting .
African big-game hunting funds efforts that protect plentiful , threatened and endangered species from poaching , and gives local communities incentive to tolerate conflict with depredating species . These hunts occur within the scope of the law of the listed African countries , comply with international treaties and adhere to United States import regulations . The dollars that are spent on these hunts provide a lifeline for many endangered and threatened species as they fund the anti-poaching and conservation efforts throughout Africa , as well as the world , that would not be possible otherwise .
“ Unfortunately , this legislation will most directly harm the foreign countries and the small rural communities that rely on funding from American sportsmen by providing them with the social and economic incentives to appropriately manage these animals ,” said Bruce Tague , Sportsmen ’ s Alliance vice president of government affairs . “ This legislation does nothing to improve the lives of American citizens and is a direct attack on worldwide conservation efforts .”
Adobe Stock
18 SPORTSMEN ’ S MONTHLY