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El Comité del Patrimonio Mundial insta a Estados Unidos a proteger sitio mexicano del muro fronterizo
RIAD, Arabia Saudita— El Comité del Patrimonio Mundial de la UNESCO solicitó hoy que Estados Unidos restablezca la conectividad ecológica del sitio de patrimonio mundial Reserva de la Biosfera El Pinacate y Gran Desierto de Altar, dañado por el muro fronterizo estadounidense. El muro impide el paso de vida silvestre, como el berrendo sonorense, entre Estados Unidos y Mexico.
Read more.World Heritage Committee Urges U.S. to Protect Mexican Site From Border Wall
RIYADH, Saudi Arabia— The UNESCO World Heritage Committee requested today that the United States restore ecological connectivity to a Mexican World Heritage site harmed by the U.S. border wall. The wall impedes wildlife passage, including for the Sonoran pronghorn, between the United States and the El Pinacate and Gran Desierto de Altar Biosphere Reserve in Mexico.
Read more.United States Finds China’s Pangolin Trade Undermines Wildlife Treaty
WASHINGTON— The U.S. Department of the Interior has announced that China’s failure to halt its trade in endangered pangolins diminishes the effectiveness of an international wildlife treaty. Following the certification, which was published late Friday, President Biden must decide by late October whether to impose a trade embargo against China to prompt its compliance.
Read more.Hábitat de la vaquita marina se mantiene como “Patrimonio en Peligro”: UNESCO
RIAD, Arabia Saudita— El Comité del Patrimonio Mundial de la UNESCO decidió hoy mantener el estatus de “en peligro” el hábitat de la vaquita marina y el pez totoaba. Sólo quedan 10 vaquitas en el mundo en una pequeña zona del Golfo de California. El comité instó a México a adoptar medidas correctivas inmediatas para salvar a la marsopa en peligro crítico de extinción.
Read more.UNESCO World Heritage Committee: Vaquita Porpoise Habitat Still “In Danger”
RIYADH, Saudi Arabia— The UNESCO World Heritage Committee decided today to maintain the “in danger” status for the last remaining habitat of the vaquita porpoise and the totoaba fish. Only 10 vaquitas remain in the world, all in a small area of Mexico, and the committee urged Mexico to immediately adopt corrective measures to save the critically endangered porpoise.
Read more.Global Plastics Treaty Chair Releases ‘Zero Draft’ Ahead of Third Meeting
NAIROBI— The chair of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee on Plastic Pollution released the “zero draft” of the global plastics treaty today. This preliminary document is a starting point for negotiations. The treaty’s third negotiating session, or INC-3, will begin in Nairobi, Kenya, on Nov. 13.
Read more.Buscan protección para el lince en México
LA PAZ, México— El Centro para la Diversidad Biológica solicitó hoy a la Secretaría de Medio Ambiente y Recursos Naturales (Semarnat) que proteja a los linces bajo la lista de especies en riesgo. Los linces enfrentan numerosas amenazas, incluidas el comercio ilegal, la caza, la pérdida de hábitat, la urbanización, las colisiones con vehículos y el muro fronterizo de EE. UU.
Read more.Protections Sought to Safeguard Mexican Bobcats
LA PAZ, Mexico— The Center for Biological Diversity petitioned Mexico’s environmental ministry today to protect bobcats under the country’s list of species at risk. Mexican bobcats face numerous threats, including illegal trade, hunting, habitat loss, urbanization, vehicle collisions and the U.S. border wall.
Read more.U.S. Proposes Ban on Imports, Exports of Banggai Cardinalfish
WASHINGTON— NOAA Fisheries has announced a proposed rule to ban the import and export of threatened Banggai cardinalfish, following a 2021 petition from conservation groups.
Read more.Three Brazilian Butterflies Proposed for U.S. Endangered Species Protection
WASHINGTON— The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service proposed protecting three Brazilian butterflies under the Endangered Species Act today. The proposed protections respond to a legal agreement stemming from a Center for Biological Diversity lawsuit filed in 2021.
Read more.Lawsuit Aims to Protect 20 Threatened Coral Species in Caribbean, Indo-Pacific
HONOLULU— The Center for Biological Diversity sued the National Marine Fisheries Service today for failing to protect 20 coral species in the Caribbean and Indo-Pacific. The corals all received Endangered Species Act listings in 2014 but not protections offered by the law, including prohibitions on collection and sale.
Read more.Biden Declines to Embargo Products From Mexico Despite Vaquita Violation
WASHINGTON— President Biden announced today that he will not embargo products from Mexico despite the country’s failure to halt illegal wildlife trade threatening the critically endangered vaquita porpoise.
Read more.Two South American Birds Proposed for U.S. Endangered Species Protections
WASHINGTON— Responding to a Center for Biological Diversity lawsuit, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service today proposed protecting two curassows from Bolivia and Peru under the Endangered Species Act. Both birds are threatened by hunting and habitat destruction.
Read more.Estados Unidos podrá imponer un embargo a México por violar un tratado de vida silvestre
WASHINGTON— El Servicio de Pesca y Vida Silvestre de EE. UU. anunció hoy que México no ha logrado detener el comercio ilegal de vida silvestre que amenaza a la vaquita marina en peligro crítico de extinción, reduciendo de la eficacia de un tratado internacional sobre la vida silvestre. Bajo la ley estadounidense, el presidente Biden decidirá mediados de julio si toma acción contra México, incluida la imposición de un embargo comercial. Si el presidente no prohibiera las importaciones de todos los productos de vida silvestre de México, debe explicar por qué.
Read more.U.S. Finds Mexico Is Undermining Wildlife Treaty, May Impose Embargo
WASHINGTON— The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced today that Mexico has failed to halt the illegal wildlife trade threatening the critically endangered vaquita porpoise, diminishing the effectiveness of an international wildlife treaty. Under U.S. law, President Biden must now decide by mid-July whether to take action against Mexico, including imposing a trade embargo. If the president fails to ban imports of all wildlife products from Mexico, he must explain why.
Read more.La Captura Incidental de Mamíferos Marinos en las Pesquerías de Ecuador Amenaza el Acceso al Mercado de Mariscos de los Estados Unidos de América
WASHINGTON – Un reporte publicado hoy por grupos conservacionistas y de protección animal descubre que la industria pesquera de Ecuador no cumple con los estándares de Estados Unidos para limitar la captura incidental de ballenas y delfines. En consecuencia, Ecuador puede perder acceso al mercado de importación de mariscos de EE. UU. para algunos productos en 2024. Ecuador exporta a EE. UU. alrededor de USD 1.600 millones de mariscos por año.
Read more.Marine Mammal Bycatch in Ecuador’s Fisheries Threatens Access to U.S. Seafood Market
WASHINGTON— A report released today by conservation and animal protection groups finds that Ecuador’s fishing industry does not meet U.S. standards for limiting whale and dolphin bycatch. As a result, Ecuador may lose access to the U.S. seafood import market for some products in 2024. Ecuador exports around USD $1.6 billion of seafood to the United States annually.
Read more.Wildlife Data: Massive U.S. Mammal Imports Threaten Biodiversity
WASHINGTON— The United States imported more than 250 million mammal parts for commercial use between 2016 and 2020, according to data obtained from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
Read more.U.S. to Decide Whether Mexico's Failure to Protect Vaquita Warrants Embargo
NEW YORK— In a settlement filed in court Friday, the U.S. Department of the Interior agreed to determine whether Mexico has failed to stop illegal fishing and trade of totoaba that is driving the vaquita porpoise’s extinction. The determination could result in an embargo against Mexico.
Read more.Atlantic Humpback Dolphin Recommended for Endangered Species Act Listing
WASHINGTON— The National Marine Fisheries Service announced a proposed rule today to list the Atlantic humpback dolphin under the Endangered Species Act, in response to a 2021 petition filed by the Animal Welfare Institute, the Center for Biological Diversity and VIVA Vaquita. Following a 60-day public comment period, the agency has until April 2024 to make a final decision on protections.
Read more.CITES Sanctions Mexico for Failing to Protect Vaquita Porpoises
GENEVA— The Secretariat to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora today announced trade sanctions against Mexico for its failure to control illegal fishing and trade that endangers the vaquita porpoise. Mexico will no longer be able to commercially export millions of dollars of wildlife products to most nations around the globe.
Read more.Hippos Move Step Closer to Endangered Species Act Protections
WASHINGTON— After a petition and threat to sue from animal protection and conservation groups, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service today announced that the common hippopotamus may qualify for protection under the Endangered Species Act.
Read more.U.S. Urged to Tighten Data Standards for Aquarium Fish Imports
WASHINGTON— The Center for Biological Diversity urged the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service today to require and report species-level data for all ornamental fish brought into the country for the aquarium trade. As today’s letter notes, maintaining and disclosing reliable species information from the national database would aid conservation measures for fish threatened by overexploitation.
Read more.Global Wildlife Trade Agreement Marks 50th Anniversary
WASHINGTON— Fifty organizations from around the world are urging an ambitious response to the extinction crisis as the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species turns 50 years old on Friday.
Read more.EU Plan to Protect Marine Species Falls Short, Threatens Seafood Exports to United States
BRUSSELS— The European Commission’s EU Action Plan released this week falls short of protecting and restoring marine species and jeopardizes continued access for EU fish products to the lucrative U.S. seafood market, according to a coalition of animal welfare and conservation groups.
Read more.Muro fronterizo de EE.UU. pone en peligro sitio del Patrimonio Mundial en México
PARÍS— El Centro para la Diversidad Biológica solicitó hoy enlistar como “en peligro” un sitio en México del Patrimonio Mundial dañado por el muro fronterizo de EE. UU. El controvertido muro de EE. UU. corta en dos el hábitat desértico protegido más grande del mundo, bloqueando la conectividad escencial.
Read more.U.S. Border Wall Endangers Mexican World Heritage Site
PARIS— The Center for Biological Diversity called for “in danger” status today for a Mexican World Heritage site harmed by the U.S. border wall. The controversial U.S. wall cuts the world’s largest swath of protected desert habitat in two, walling off critical habitat connectivity.
Read more.Legal Action Launched to Protect Hippos Under Endangered Species Act
WASHINGTON— Animal protection and conservation groups today sent a notice of intent to sue the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for failing to respond to a legal petition to protect the common hippopotamus under the Endangered Species Act. The Service was required to respond to the March 2022 petition within 90 days, but nearly a year has passed, and the agency still has not responded.
Read more.Imperiled Leopards One Step Closer to Increased Endangered Species Act Protection
WASHINGTON— In response to a lawsuit by animal protection and conservation groups, today the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service finally agreed to a June 2027 deadline to determine if leopards warrant increased protection under the Endangered Species Act. Increased safeguards would ensure closer scrutiny of African leopard trophy imports and help boost funding to counter suspected population declines.
Read more.Biodiversity Summit Agrees to Protect 30% of Planet by 2030
MONTREAL— A global agreement was reached today to protect 30% of terrestrial, freshwater and marine areas by 2030. The 15th Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity, or COP15, in Montreal concluded by adopting the “Kunming-Montreal Global biodiversity framework.” The framework centers the role of Indigenous Peoples in meeting the habitat goals and vastly increases financing for biodiversity.
Read more.Demanda empuja a EE. UU. a sancionar a México mientras la vaquita marina se acerca a la extinción
NUEVA YORK— Organizaciones ambientalistas demandaron hoy al Departamento del Interior de EE. UU. ante un tribunal federal para forzar una decisión largamente postergada de sancionar a México por permitir la pesca y el comercio ilegales que ponen en peligro a la vaquita marina.
Read more.Lawsuit Pushes U.S. to Sanction Mexico as Vaquita Porpoise Nears Extinction
NEW YORK— Conservation groups sued the U.S. Department of the Interior today in federal court to force a long overdue decision to sanction Mexico for allowing illegal fishing and trade that endanger the vaquita porpoise.
Read more.Reindeer Population Wins Endangered Species Protection in Time for Holidays
WASHINGTON— The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service protected the Dolphin and Union caribou today as endangered under the Endangered Species Act. This specific population of barren-ground caribou (Rangifer tarandus groenlandicus) — also known as reindeer — inhabits the Arctic regions of Canada’s northern territories. The endangered listing restricts trade in Dolphin and Union caribou in the United States.
Read more.Rising Threats to Wildlife Reported by Red List as Global Biodiversity Negotiations Plod On in Montreal
MONTREAL— An update released today by the International Union for Conservation of Nature found that 28% of plants and animals around the globe are threatened with extinction. The new IUCN Red List identifies 42,108 species as threatened out of 150,388 species for which there is enough information to determine a conservation status.
Read more.Global Leaders at COP15 Urged to Stop Extinction Now
MONTREAL— Thousands of scientists and advocates from around the world are urging international biodiversity conference delegates to draft an ambitious framework to end the extinction crisis and safeguard biodiversity and Indigenous communities. The 15th Conference of the Parties of the Convention on Biological Diversity, or COP15, opens today in Montreal.
Read more.CITES Meeting Concludes With Bids to Open Ivory, Rhino Horn Trading Defeated
PANAMA CITY— Countries at the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species meeting confirmed votes Thursday rejecting resumption of the ivory and rhinoceros horn trade, sparing elephants and rhinos from increased threats.
Read more.CITES Vote Grants 21 U.S. Turtle Species International Trade Protections
PANAMA CITY— Countries from around the globe voted at the CITES conference today to restrict trade in 21 U.S. turtle species. The decision was made at the 19th Conference of the Parties to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species.
Read more.COP27 Makes Breakthrough on Loss and Damage But Flops on Fossil Fuels
SHARM EL-SHEIKH, Egypt— The United Nations climate summit ended in Egypt today with a critical failure to include commitments to phase out all climate-heating fossil fuels as the science behind the Paris Agreement demands.
Read more.Nations Vote to Restrict Trade in 3 Imperiled Indo-Pacific Sea Cucumbers
PANAMA CITY— Parties to CITES voted today to protect the pineapple sea cucumber, the amberfish sea cucumber and the red-lined or ‘candycane’ sea cucumber. All species are threatened by trade and will be protected under Appendix II of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora.
Read more.Biden Administration Announces Tighter Rules for African Elephant Imports
WASHINGTON— The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service proposed new restrictions today on U.S. imports of sport-hunted African elephant trophies and live trade. The proposal halts trophy imports from countries who cannot certify annually that their elephant populations are “stable or increasing,” have up-to-date population data, or have adequate conservation legislation. But today’s proposal stops short of a total ban on trophy and live elephant imports.
Read more.Nations to Meet in Panama to Tackle Wildlife Trade
PANAMA CITY, Panama— Officials from around the globe will convene in Panama City Nov. 14 for the triennial conference of the parties to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species. The CITES treaty regulates trade in imperiled or potentially threatened animals and plants, and plays a critical role in combating wildlife exploitation, a key driver of the extinction crisis.
Read more.Investigators Uncover Rampant Wildlife Trafficking in Mexico
LA PAZ, Mexico— A report from the Center for Biological Diversity released today finds that trafficking of imperiled wild animals is widespread across Mexico. Species like jaguars, sloths, howler monkeys, crocodiles, sea cucumbers and parrots are traded openly in a robust digital marketplace aided by social media.
Read more.A sólo un clic, tráfico de vida silvestre en México
LA PAZ, México— “Vendo o cambio, bonito ejemplar de cocodrilo mexicano, gente seria, no preguntones, ni chinches $$$”. Así se promueve en redes sociales Juan, joven originario de Chimalhuacán, Estado de México, que ofrece dos ejemplares de cocodrilo de pantano, sin documentación o registro a través de un grupo de Facebook.
Read more.Lawsuit Launched to Protect Threatened Coral Species
WASHINGTON— The Center for Biological Diversity today filed a notice of intent to sue the federal government for failing to protect 20 coral species in the Caribbean and Indo-Pacific. The corals all received Endangered Species Act listings in 2014 but not the protective regulations the law requires, including prohibitions on collection and sale.
Read more.Mining Ship Departs Mexico’s Manzanillo After Shock Decision to Greenlight Deep-Sea Mining Test
MEXICO CITY— The Hidden Gem, the world’s largest vessel dedicated specifically to mining the seafloor for minerals, is staging its first mining operation. It will depart Wednesday from the Mexican Pacific port of Manzanillo.
Read more.UN Urged to Protect Pantanal As Fires Threaten World Heritage Site
PARIS— The Center for Biological Diversity petitioned today for “in danger” status for the Pantanal World Heritage site in Brazil, which has been ravaged by severe, human-caused fires in recent years. As this year’s fire season escalates, fire outbreaks are jeopardizing the Pantanal — the world’s largest tropical wetland — and its imperiled wildlife.
Read more.U.S. to Finally Decide Protection for Foreign Birds, Butterflies
WASHINGTON— In a legal agreement finalized today, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service agreed to finally decide whether seven foreign wildlife species should be granted U.S. Endangered Species Act protections.
Read more.100 Groups Urge Global Leaders to Stop Extinction
WASHINGTON— More than 100 organizations from five continents today urged negotiators headed to a world biodiversity meeting to commit to stopping human-caused extinctions of species. The groups’ letter comes as negotiations over the global framework to combat biodiversity loss are set to resume June 21 in Nairobi, Kenya.
Read more.Conservationists Urge Halt to Mexico’s Maya Train Project, Call For Sanctions
MEXICO CITY— Conservation groups filed comments today with Semarnat, Mexico’s environmental ministry, identifying a large number of omissions and inaccuracies in a government assessment of the environmental impacts of the section five south of the Maya train project.
Read more.Giraffes One Step Closer to U.S. Endangered Species Protections
WASHINGTON— In response to a lawsuit by conservation and animal protection groups, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service agreed today to a deadline of November 2024 for deciding if giraffes warrant protection under the Endangered Species Act.
Read more.Lawsuit Demands Halt to Mexico’s Maya Train
CANCUN, Mexico— Conservation groups have sued the Mexican government over its plan to build a “Maya train” through one of Mexico’s most biodiverse forests. This controversial tourist train — one of President López Obrador’s flagship infrastructure projects — will connect holiday destinations across the Yucatán peninsula. The lawsuit challenges the government’s failure to issue an environmental assessment before approving the train’s fifth and most-controversial section.
Read more.Autoridad ambiental del T-MEC recomienda investigación formal por fallas en la protección de la vaquita marina en México
MONTRÉAL— Un organismo clave del acuerdo comercial entre México, Estados Unidos y Canadá (T-MEC) recomendó hoy una investigación formal sobre el incumplimiento de México de sus leyes de pesca y de vida silvestre, lo que está causando la casi extinción de la vaquita marina. Redes de pesca ilegales colocadas para atrapar camarones y totoabas, un pez en peligro y codiciado en China por su vejiga natatoria, enredan y matan a la vaquita. Es probable que queden diez o menos vaquitas.
Read more.International Environmental Authority Recommends Full Investigation of Mexico’s Vaquita Failures
MONTRéAL— A key U.S.-Mexico-Canada trade agreement body recommended a formal investigation today into Mexico’s failure to comply with its fishing and wildlife trade laws, which is causing the near-extinction of the vaquita porpoise. Illegal fishing nets set to catch shrimp and totoaba, an imperiled fish coveted in China for its swim bladder, entangle and kill vaquita. Ten or fewer vaquita likely remain.
Read more.U.S. Endangered Species Act Protection Sought for Hippos
WASHINGTON— Wildlife protection groups today petitioned the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to protect hippos under the Endangered Species Act. The legal petition was filed by the Humane Society of the United States, Humane Society International, Humane Society Legislative Fund and Center for Biological Diversity.
Read more.New Wildlife Data Reveals Disturbing U.S. Trophy Trade Trends
WASHINGTON— U.S. hunters imported more than 700,000 trophies taken from giraffes, rhinos and many other species around the globe from 2016 to 2020, according to data newly obtained from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The data shows a steady and sizeable annual increase in U.S. trade in hunting trophies — including mounts, skulls, skins, teeth and other parts — throughout the Trump administration. The trophy trade declined only after the Covid-19 pandemic struck.
Read more.CITES Approves Totoaba Trade in Major Blow to Imperiled Vaquita Porpoise
LYON, France— The Standing Committee of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora voted 9-6 Thursday to permit Earth Ocean Farms, an aquaculture facility in Mexico, to engage in trade of captive-bred totoaba fish. This decision may seal the fate of the critically endangered vaquita porpoise, which becomes entangled in fishing nets used to catch totoaba for the totoaba bladder (or maw) trade.
Read more.CITES aprueba el comercio de totoaba en un gran golpe para la vaquita marina
LYON, Francia— El Comité Permanente de la Convención sobre el Comercio Internacional de Especies Amenazadas de Fauna y Flora Silvestres (CITES) votó el jueves 9 a 5 para permitir que Earth Ocean Farms (EOF), una instalación de acuacultura en México, participe en el comercio internacional de peces totoaba criados en cautiverio. Esta decisión puede sellar el destino de la vaquita marina que está en peligro crítico de extinción, la cual queda atrapada en las redes de pesca que capturan totoaba para comercializar su vejiga (o buches).
Read more.U.S. Officials Urged to Deny Elephant Trophy Imports by March 16 Deadline
WASHINGTON— Conservation and animal welfare groups urged the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service today to deny permits to hunters seeking to import elephant trophies into the United States from Zimbabwe and Namibia. Under a settlement with the Dallas Safari Club, the agency must decide on eight pending permit applications by mid-March following a multi-year permitting hiatus for elephant trophy imports into the country.
Read more.EE.UU. presenta demanda comercial en contra de México por la falta de protección a la vaquita marina
WASHINGTON— La Representante de Comercio de Estados Unidos, Katherine Tai, solicitó formalmente consultas medioambientales con México por su pesca ilegal con el objetivo de proteger a la vaquita marina, en peligro crítico de extinción. La solicitud es el primer paso en el marco del mecanismo de implementación y disputa del Acuerdo México-Estados Unidos-Canadá, que podría dar lugar a sanciones comerciales contra México.
Read more.U.S. Launches Trade Complaint Over Mexico’s Failure to Protect Vaquita
WASHINGTON— U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai formally requested environmental consultations with Mexico today over its illegal fishing. Aimed at protecting the critically endangered vaquita porpoise, the request is the first step under the enforcement and dispute mechanism of the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement, which could lead to trade sanctions against Mexico.
Read more.In-Danger Designation Requested for Pantanal Wetlands in Brazil, Bolivia, Paraguay
GLAND, Switzerland— Conservation groups sent an urgent letter to the Secretariat of the Ramsar Convention today requesting a full assessment of damage caused by recent fires to in the Pantanal — the largest tropical wetland in the world — in Brazil, Bolivia and Paraguay.
Read more.Atlantic Humpback Dolphin Takes Step Toward Endangered Species Act Protection
WASHINGTON— The National Marine Fisheries Service announced today that it would begin a status review to determine whether the highly imperiled Atlantic humpback dolphin should be protected under the Endangered Species Act. The agency’s decision came in response to a September petition filed by the Animal Welfare Institute, Center for Biological Diversity and VIVA Vaquita.
Read more.La Corte Constitucional de Ecuador hace valer los “Derechos de la Naturaleza” constitucionales para salvaguardar el Bosque Protector Los Cedros
QUITO, Ecuador— En un caso sin precedentes, la Corte Constitucional de Ecuador ha aplicado la disposición constitucional sobre los “Derechos de la Naturaleza” para salvaguardar el bosque nuboso Los Cedros de las concesiones mineras. La Corte votó 7 a favor y 2 abstenciones.
Read more.Ecuador's Highest Court Enforces Constitutional ‘Rights of Nature’ to Safeguard Los Cedros Protected Forest
QUITO, Ecuador— In an unprecedented case, the Constitutional Court of Ecuador has applied the constitutional provision on the “Rights of Nature” to safeguard the Los Cedros cloud forest from mining concessions. The court voted seven in favor, with two abstentions.
Read more.Deadline Today: Will Nations Lose Access to U.S. Seafood Market?
WASHINGTON— By today’s deadline, seafood-exporting nations worldwide must have adopted regulations to reduce entanglements of whales, dolphins and seals in fishing gear or face a U.S. import ban.
Read more.Lawsuit Aims to Speed U.S. Protection for Foreign Birds, Butterflies
WASHINGTON— The Center for Biological Diversity sued the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service today for failing to propose Endangered Species Act protection for seven foreign wildlife species. The species — four butterflies and three birds — are parked on the Service’s “candidate” waitlist, where some have lingered unprotected for more than 30 years.
Read more.Lawsuit Demands Crucial U.S. Wildlife Trade Data
TUCSON, Ariz.— The Center for Biological Diversity sued the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service today for failing to release data on wildlife traded across U.S. borders. The United States imports millions of animals, plants and wildlife products each year from around the globe, and these imports are all tracked by the Service.
Read more.Lawsuit Aims to Protect African Leopards From U.S. Trophy Hunters
WASHINGTON— Animal protection and conservation groups sued the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service today for failing to propose stricter protections for African leopards under the U.S. Endangered Species Act to address the harms of trophy hunting.
Read more.Lawsuit Challenges Federal Government’s Failure to Protect Giraffes
WASHINGTON— Conservation and animal protection groups sued the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service today for failing to propose critical Endangered Species Act protections for Africa’s rapidly dwindling giraffe population. Each year giraffe parts, including bones and skins, are imported into the United States to be turned into home décor, frivolous accessories and fashion.
Read more.Part One of UN Biodiversity Meetings Starts: Will World Call for Halt to Extinctions in 2022?
WASHINGTON— As countries prepare to gather online starting Oct. 11 for the 15th meeting of the Convention on Biological Diversity, conservationists are calling on attendees to adopt an agreement to halt human-induced extinctions in 2022.
Read more.México debe responder ante fallas en el cumplimiento de la legislación ambiental para proteger a la vaquita: Comisión del T-MEC
MONTREAL— Según una decisión de la Comisión para la Cooperación Ambiental, un organismo de escrutinio ambiental bajo el Acuerdo comercial México-Estados Unidos-Canadá (T-MEC), el gobierno de México debe responder ante las acusaciones de no haber hecho cumplir la legislación ambiental para proteger a la vaquita marina en peligro crítico de extinción.
Read more.USMCA Commission: Mexico Must Respond on Vaquita Enforcement Failures
MONTREAL— Mexico must respond to allegations that the government failed to enforce protections for critically endangered vaquita porpoises, according to a decision by the Commission for Environmental Cooperation. The commission is an environmental review body under the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement, or USMCA.
Read more.Petition Seeks U.S. Protections for Atlantic Humpback Dolphin
WASHINGTON— Conservation groups petitioned the National Marine Fisheries Service today to list the Atlantic humpback dolphin under the U.S. Endangered Species Act. Atlantic humpback dolphin populations are in serious decline, and the species is already recognized as critically endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature, or IUCN, Red List.
Read more.IUCN World Conservation Congress Convenes to Tackle Global Priorities
MARSEILLE, France— Members of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) will gather this week for the quadrennial World Conservation Congress to make critical policy decisions to address conservation priorities including the ongoing biodiversity crisis.
Read more.Lawsuit Launched Over Dismal Pace of Foreign Wildlife Protections
WASHINGTON— The Center for Biological Diversity announced its intent today to sue the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for failing to propose Endangered Species Act protection for 19 foreign wildlife species. The species, which include five butterflies, 13 birds and a clam, are parked on the Service’s “candidate” wait list, where some have lingered unprotected for over 30 years.
Read more.Instan a Comisión del T-MEC a investigar la falta de protección a la vaquita marina
MONTREAL— Grupos de conservacionistas solicitaron hoy a la Comisión de Cooperación Ambiental (CCA) investigar el incumplimiento del gobierno de México a sus leyes de pesca y comercio. Las fallas de cumplimiento del gobierno de México violan el nuevo Acuerdo Comercial entre México, Estados Unidos y Canadá (T-MEC) y, si continúan, provocarán la extinción de la vaquita marina.
Read more.USMCA Commission Urged to Investigate Mexico’s Failure to Protect Vaquita Porpoise
MONTREAL— Conservation groups petitioned the Commission on Environmental Cooperation today to investigate Mexico’s failure to enforce its fishing and trade laws. Mexico’s enforcement failures violate the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement, or USMCA. If those enforcement failures continue, they’ll cause the vaquita porpoise to go extinct.
Read more.U.S. Wildlife Officials Punt on Foreign Species Protections, Again
WASHINGTON— The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced today that it will keep 19 imperiled wildlife species on its “candidate” wait list, delaying much-needed Endangered Species Act protections. Some of the species, which include 13 birds, five butterflies and a clam, have been awaiting U.S. protections for more than 30 years.
Read more.Emperor Penguin Proposed for U.S. Endangered Species Protection
WASHINGTON— Following a petition and lawsuit from the Center for Biological Diversity, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service today proposed the emperor penguin for protection under the Endangered Species Act. The species is gravely threatened by sea-ice loss driven by the climate emergency.
Read more.Federal Ban Sought to End Dangerous Trade in Live Wild Birds, Mammals
WASHINGTON— Conservation groups petitioned the Biden administration today to ban U.S. imports and exports of all live birds and mammals, including for food, pets and other uses. A proactive ban would reduce the risk of future zoonotic disease outbreaks like COVID-19, which jump from wildlife to people.
Read more.La UNESCO insta a poner fin al muro fronterizo que amenaza la vida silvestre en sitio de Patrimonio Mundial en México
FUZHOU, China— El Comité del Patrimonio Mundial de la UNESCO instó hoy a los Estados Unidos a detener la construcción del muro fronterizo, trabajar con México para evaluar los daños del muro en la Reserva de la Biosfera El Pinacate y Gran Desierto de Altar en México y en las tierras protegidas adyacentes en los Estados Unidos, y restaurar el paisaje y hábitat de la vida silvestre.
Read more.UNESCO Urges End to Border Wall Threatening World Heritage Site, Wildlife in Mexico
FUZHOU, China— The UNESCO World Heritage Committee today urged the United States to stop border wall construction. The committee also called on the United States to work with Mexico to assess damage from the wall to a World Heritage site in Mexico and adjacent protected lands in the United States and recommend ways to restore the landscape and wildlife habitat.
Read more.Mexico Drastically Eases Enforcement in Vaquita ‘Zero Tolerance’ Area
LA PAZ, Mexico— Mexico announced this week that it will ease enforcement in the vaquita’s core Upper Gulf of California habitat, at a time when only 10 of these unique, small porpoises remain on Earth. The move will hasten the porpoise’s extinction as vaquita are caught in the illegal gillnets of fishermen.
Read more.Buscan protección para el emblemático caracol rosado
LA PAZ, México— El Centro para la Diversidad Biológica presentó hoy una petición que busca la protección del caracol rosado bajo la Norma NOM-059-Semarnat-2010, una regulación que enlista a las especies en riesgo de extinción. El caracol rosado tiene una gran demanda por su carne y su emblemática concha, que se utiliza para decoración y joyería; la sobrepesca y la captura furtiva han provocado su declive en el Caribe mexicano.
Read more.Protection Sought for Mexico’s Iconic Queen Conch
LA PAZ, Mexico— The Center for Biological Diversity filed a petition today seeking protection for the queen conch under Mexico’s Standard NOM-059, a federal law that protects at-risk species from extinction, like the U.S. Endangered Species Act. The large, marine snail is heavily in demand for its meat and iconic shell, which is used for décor and jewelry; overfishing and poaching have caused its decline in the Mexican Caribbean.
Read more.Biodiversity Negotiations Fail to Call for Global Halt to Species Extinctions
WASHINGTON— A draft of the global framework to combat biodiversity loss was released today, and it fails to call for a halt to species’ extinctions. The framework is being negotiated by parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity — 195 countries plus the European Union — and the Convention is meant to function as the premier international agreement on biodiversity conservation. The framework has been under negotiation since 2019 and is supposed to guide the parties in sustaining a healthy planet during the next decade and on to 2050.
Read more.Lawsuit Launched Over Federal Protections for Black Teatfish Sea Cucumbers
WASHINGTON— The Center for Biological Diversity sent a notice of intent to sue the federal government today for failing to act on a petition to protect black teatfish sea cucumbers under the Endangered Species Act. Overfishing to supply the luxury seafood trade has caused rapid population declines for this sea cucumber species that is found in shallow waters outside the United States.
Read more.Lawsuit Challenges U.S. Failure to Protect Foreign Wildlife
WASHINGTON— The Center for Biological Diversity filed a lawsuit today challenging the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s failure to protect seven imperiled animals found outside U.S. borders. The animals include two beautiful Brazilian butterflies and a woodpecker threatened by U.S. jungle warfare training activities in Japan.
Read more.Biden Administration Urged to Release Critical Records on Wildlife Imports
WASHINGTON— More than 20 groups urged the Biden administration on Friday to release wildlife import and export data hidden from the public since 2015. The data documents the millions of plants and animals that enter and leave the United States each year for the exotic pet trade, hunting trophies, medicinal products, fashion, décor and more. It is a unique and invaluable source of information for conservationists, scientists and members of the media alike.
Read more.Lawsuit Seeks Public Accountability for U.S. Financing of Climate-Damaging International Projects
WASHINGTON— Environmental groups sued the United States International Development Finance Corporation, or DFC, today for illegally exempting itself from the Sunshine Act, which requires multi-member federal agencies to open deliberations to the public. The DFC provides billions of dollars in financing each year to international projects, including fracking and environmentally destructive road-building.
Read more.Biden Administration Urged to Use Lacey Act to Ban Wildlife Imports That May Spread Disease
WASHINGTON— In a bid to reduce the risk of zoonotic diseases entering the United States, a group of conservation organizations urged the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service today to assess and designate wildlife species as “injurious” based on their potential to transmit diseases that could threaten human health.
Read more.U.S. Wildlife Officials Petitioned to Ban Import, Sale of Banggai Cardinalfish
WASHINGTON— Conservation groups filed a petition today urging the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) to ban the import and sale of threatened Banggai cardinalfish from Indonesia.
Read more.Exhorto a líderes mundiales de sancionar a México para salvar a las marsopas en peligro de extinción
WASHINGTON— En una serie de cartas entregadas hoy, grupos conservacionistas instaron a autoridades estadounidenses e internacionales a emplear sanciones para presionar a México y que salve a la vaquita marina, cuya población se ha reducido a tan solo 10 animales. A pesar de repetidas promesas durante décadas, el gobierno mexicano no ha logrado detener el uso de redes de enmalle mortales que enredan, ahogan y matan a estas marsopas, llevándolas a la extinción.
Read more.Global Leaders Urged to Sanction Mexico to Save Critically Endangered Porpoises
WASHINGTON— In a series of letters delivered today, conservation groups urged the United States and international authorities to use sanctions to pressure Mexico to save the vaquita, whose population has dwindled to just 10 remaining animals. Despite repeated promises for decades, the Mexican government has failed to stop the use of deadly gillnets that are entangling, drowning and killing these porpoises — driving them to extinction.
Read more.WHO Report: Wildlife Exploitation Likely Caused COVID-19 Pandemic
GENEVA— The SARS-CoV-2 virus likely originated from human exploitation of wildlife, according to today’s findings from a World Health Organization-led investigation.
Read more.Elephants in Africa Face Grave Extinction Threat, New Expert Assessment Finds
GENEVA— In a long-awaited move, the International Union for Conservation of Nature announced today that elephants in Africa face a serious risk of extinction. At the same time, it is officially identifying African elephants as two distinct species: savanna elephants and forest elephants.
Read more.New York Court Upholds State Ban on Ivory, Rhino Horn Sales
NEW YORK— A federal court in New York on Friday upheld the state’s ban on sales and in-store displays of elephant and mammoth ivory and rhino horn — rejecting claims that the ban was unconstitutional. The Art and Antique Dealers League of America and the National Antique and Art Dealers Association of America challenged the law in 2018.
Read more.Buscan la protección de flores silvestres de Arizona y México y bajo la Ley de Especies Amenazadas en EEUU
TUCSON, Ariz.— En respuesta a una petición del Centro para la Diversidad Biológica y la Sociedad Audubon de Maricopa, el Servicio de Pesca y Vida Silvestre de los Estados Unidos propuso hoy la protección bajo la Ley de Especies Amenazadas del eryngo de Arizona, una planta en peligro crítico que habita en humedales en sólo cuatro poblaciones sobrevivientes en Arizona y México (Sonora y Chihuahua). El eryngo anteriormente también vivía en un lugar en Nuevo México, pero ahora se ha ido del estado.
Read more.Thousands Urge Biden to Commit U.S. to Doing Fair Share on Climate
WASHINGTON— Just days before the reentry of the United States into the Paris Agreement becomes official, environmental groups delivered a petition to the Biden administration signed by more than 50,000 Americans demanding that the U.S. commit to cutting its fair share of emissions.
Read more.Treaty Commission to Scrutinize Mexico’s Loggerhead Sea Turtle Deaths
MONTREAL— An environmental body established under the NAFTA replacement, the newly negotiated United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement, concluded that the deaths of hundreds of loggerhead sea turtles in Mexico due to fishing gear entanglement warrant a formal response from Mexico and further review under the treaty.
Read more.Coalition Submits Amicus Brief in Nangaritza Case Calling for Bold Application of Rights of Nature in Ecuador
QUITO, Ecuador— A coalition of forest experts, river protectors and law professors submitted an amicus brief this week to Ecuador's Constitutional Court calling for a robust application of the “Rights of Nature” to protect the Upper Nangaritza River Basin Protected Forest ("Bosque Protector de la Cuenca Alta del Rio Nangaritza”) from dangerous and harmful mining. This is the latest case in a series that the Constitutional Court will draw from to determine what the Rights of Nature means in practice.
Read more.Biden Administration Urged to Reverse Trump Failures on Foreign Wildlife Protections
WASHINGTON— The Center for Biological Diversity filed a notice today urging the Biden administration to protect 19 imperiled species found outside U.S. borders. The animals include a beautiful Brazilian butterfly and a woodpecker threatened by U.S. jungle warfare training activities in Okinawa.
Read more.Buscan la protección del tiburón mako y pepino de mar en México
LA PAZ, México— El Centro para la Diversidad Biológica presentó una petición hoy con la que se busca la protección del tiburón mako de aleta corta y el pepino de mar verrugoso bajo la Norma de México NOM-059-SEMARNAT-2010, que enlista las especies en riesgo. La industria pesquera mexicana captura miles de ambas especies cada año.
Read more.Shortfin Mako Shark, Warty Sea Cucumber Protection Sought in Mexico
LA PAZ, Mexico— The Center for Biological Diversity filed a petition today seeking protection for the shortfin mako shark and warty sea cucumber under Mexico’s Standard NOM-059-SEMARNAT-2010, the nation’s list of species at risk. The Mexican fishing industry catches thousands of both species every year.
Read more.Center for Biological Diversity Joins IUCN as Member
GENEVA, Switzerland— The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) admitted the Center for Biological Diversity as an official member this week. IUCN is the global authority on the status of the natural world and the measures needed to safeguard it. There are currently more than 1,400 government and nongovernmental IUCN members from more than 170 nations.
Read more.Instan a México a oponerse al muro de Trump y ayudar a restaurar los recursos naturales y culturales
CIUDAD DE MÉXICO— Grupos conservacionistas mexicanos, científicos y los líderes tradicionales O'odham de México instaron hoy al gobierno mexicano a oponerse a que se siga construyendo el muro fronterizo, condenar la destrucción ambiental y trabajar con la administración Biden para reabrir los corredores de vida silvestre cortados por el muro de Trump.
Read more.Letter Urges Mexico to Oppose Trump’s Wall, Help Restore Natural, Cultural Resources
MEXICO CITY— Mexican conservation groups, scientists and the Traditional O’odham Leaders of Mexico today urged the Mexican government to oppose further border-wall construction, condemn the wall’s environmental destruction, and work with the Biden administration to reopen wildlife corridors severed by Trump’s wall.
Read more.Petition Seeks USMCA Review of Mexico’s Loggerhead Sea Turtle Deaths
MONTREAL— The Center for Biological Diversity and the Mexican Center for Environmental Law (Cemda) filed a petition today under the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement over the government of Mexico’s failure to protect endangered north Pacific loggerhead sea turtles from fishing gear entanglements.
Read more.International Report Calls Out United States for Driving Wildlife Trade
WASHINGTON— A panel of international experts today linked zoonotic diseases like COVID-19 to “unsustainable exploitation of the environment,” including the wildlife trade and land-use change. The new findings echo a recent Center for Biological Diversity report.
Read more.Lawsuit Aims to Save Leopards From Import to U.S. as Hunting Trophies
WASHINGTON— Conservation and animal-protection groups filed a lawsuit today challenging decisions by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service that authorize leopard trophy imports from Zimbabwe, Tanzania, Mozambique and Zambia into the United States.
Read more.Legal Action Initiated to Speed Endangered Species Act Protections for Giraffes
WASHINGTON— Conservation and animal-protection groups today filed a notice of intent to sue the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for failing to consider Endangered Species Act protections for Africa’s rapidly dwindling giraffe population.
Read more.Report: America’s Massive Wildlife Imports Fuel Global Pandemic Risks
WASHINGTON— The United States imported almost 23 million whole animals, parts, samples and products made from bats, primates and rodents over a recent five-year period, according to a report released today by the Center for Biological Diversity. Rodents, bats and primates harbor 75% of known zoonotic viruses — pathogens that spread from animals to people.
Read more.Piden ambientalistas al Tribunal Supremo de Ecuador que proteja Los Cedros y haga cumplir los 'Derechos de la Naturaleza'
QUITO, Ecuador— Grupos ambientalistas presentaron hoy un testimonio legal instando a la Corte Constitucional de Ecuador a detener todas las concesiones mineras en el bosque protector Los Cedros, un “Área Clave para la Biodiversidad” global. El documento cita preocupaciones de la famosa primatóloga Jane Goodall y más de 1,200 científicos destacados.
Read more.Environmental Groups Ask Ecuador´s Highest Court to Protect Los Cedros, Enforce Constitutional ‘Rights of Nature’
QUITO, Ecuador— Environmental groups filed a legal brief today urging the Constitutional Court of Ecuador to halt all mining concessions in the Los Cedros protected forest, a global “Key Biodiversity Area.” The brief cites concerns from famed primatologist Jane Goodall and more than 1,200 other prominent scientists.
Read more.Judge Orders Deadline for New North Atlantic Right Whale Protections
WASHINGTON— As a result of a successful lawsuit by several environmental and animal organizations, a federal judge today ordered federal fishery managers to issue a new rule for critically endangered North Atlantic right whales no later than May 31, 2021.
Read more.U.S. Agrees to Decide Pangolin Protections
WASHINGTON— Under a new legal agreement, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service will decide whether pangolins, the world’s most trafficked mammals, should be protected under the U.S. Endangered Species Act.
Read more.Animal, Environmental Organizations Call on White House to Support G20 Ban on Wildlife Trade
NEW YORK— Advocacy organizations today urged Thomas Storch, White House senior trade advisor and G20 Sherpa, to support and champion a permanent ban on wild-animal markets that could become sources for future pandemics.
Read more.Black Teatfish Sea Cucumbers Move Toward Endangered Species Protection
WASHINGTON— The U.S. National Marine Fisheries Service found today that the imperiled black teatfish sea cucumber may warrant Endangered Species Act protection and potentially a trade ban. Overfishing and the wildlife trade have caused rapid population declines for these plump, spotted, shallow-water sea cucumbers.
Read more.New Study Calls for Funding to Prevent Deforestation, Curtail Wildlife Trade
DURHAM, N.C.— A study being published tomorrow in the journal Science concludes that spending $22-$31 billion to curb habitat loss, deforestation and wildlife trade and monitor and control disease emergence would dramatically reduce the risk of another pandemic. That represents just 2% of the total cost — $10-$20 trillion — inflicted on the global economy by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Read more.Right Whales Decline as Deadly Entanglements Continue, IUCN Finds
GLAND, Switzerland— North Atlantic right whales are moving closer to extinction, the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) declared today in an update to its “Red List of Threatened Species.” The large whales found off the East Coast of the United States and Canada are declining because of entanglements in commercial fishing gear and ship strikes.
Read more.Demanda busca sanciones comerciales contra México mientras la vaquita marina afronta la extinción
Washington— Organizaciones conservacionistas demandaron hoy a la administración de Trump para forzar una decisión atrasada de sancionar a México por su pesca y comercio ilegal que está causando la extinción de la vaquita marina. El gobierno de EE.UU. ha ignorado la petición legal de las organizaciones desde 2014 donde se solicitan sanciones como la prohibición de todas las importaciones de productos pesqueros de México, en virtud de una ley estadounidense llamada la Enmienda Pelly.
Read more.Lawsuit Seeks Trade Sanctions Against Mexico as Vaquita Porpoise Faces Extinction
WASHINGTON— Conservation groups sued the Trump administration today to force a long-overdue decision to sanction Mexico over its illegal fishing and trade that is causing the vaquita porpoise’s extinction. The U.S. government has ignored conservationists’ 2014 legal petition seeking sanctions, including a ban on all fish and wildlife imports from Mexico, submitted under a U.S. law called the Pelly Amendment.
Read more.Presentan Demanda Para Enlistar a Tiburones Martillo Como Especies Amenazadas
LA PAZ, MEXICO— El Centro para la Diversidad Biológica presentó una demanda innovadora que busca la protección de tres especies de tiburón martillo bajo la Norma NOM-059-SEMARNAT-2010, que enlista a las especies en riesgo. La industria pesquera captura en aguas nacionales y exporta miles de toneladas de tiburones martillo al año.
Read more.Groundbreaking Lawsuit Pushes Mexico to Protect Hammerhead Sharks
LA PAZ, Mexico— The Center for Biological Diversity has filed a groundbreaking lawsuit seeking protection for three species of hammerhead shark under Mexico’s Standard NOM-059-SEMARNAT-2010, the nation’s list of species at risk. The Mexican fishing industry catches thousands of tons of hammerheads a year.
Read more.EEUU Amplía Embargo de Pescados y Mariscos Mexicanos para Salvar a la Vaquita
WASHINGTON— El Servicio Nacional de Pesca Marina anunció ayer la prohibición de las importaciones de camarones y otros productos marinos mexicanos que se capturan en el hábitat de la vaquita marina que está en peligro crítico. Esta acción se realiza conforme a la Ley de Protección de Mamíferos Marinos (MMPA por sus siglas en inglés), que faculta al gobierno de Estados Unidos a prohibir la importación de productos del mar capturados con artes de pesca, que maten mamíferos marinos y que excedan las provisiones de sus normas.
Read more.U.S. Government Expands Mexican Seafood Ban to Save Vaquita Porpoise
WASHINGTON— The U.S. National Marine Fisheries Service announced today that it will ban imports of Mexican shrimp and other seafood caught in the habitat of the critically endangered vaquita porpoise. The action is being taken under the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA), which requires the U.S. government to prohibit the import of seafood caught using fishing gear that kills marine mammals in excess of United States standards.
Read more.Trade Ban, Stronger Protections Sought for 20 Imperiled Coral Species
WASHINGTON— The Center for Biological Diversity petitioned the federal government today to provide critical new protections for 20 threatened coral species, including a ban on trade and new rules against killing and harming them. Although the corals have been listed under the Endangered Species Act since 2014, they currently receive few safeguards, despite existential threats from climate change and the aquarium trade.
Read more.Lawsuit Forces Trump Administration Action on Emperor Penguins
WASHINGTON— In an agreement filed in federal court today, the U.S. government promised to determine whether to propose Endangered Species Act protections for beloved but imperiled emperor penguins by July 2021.
Read more.After Legal Loss, Trump Administration Disbands Illegal Trophy Hunting Council
NEW YORK— After a key legal defeat, the Department of the Interior has told a federal district court in New York that no future meetings of the International Wildlife Conservation Council will take place, bringing an end to the controversial council.
Read more.Lawsuit Aims to Force Trump Administration to Halt U.S. Pangolin Trade
WASHINGTON— Wildlife conservation groups sued the Trump administration today to force officials to propose Endangered Species Act protections for critically imperiled pangolins.
Read more.Cost of Destructive U.S. Airbase Project in Japan Nearly Triples
WASHINGTON— Building a U.S. military base in Okinawan waters will cost 2.7 times as much as previously estimated, according a new announcement from Japan’s Defense Ministry. Now slated to take years longer to complete than expected, the proposed U.S. airbase could also wipe out the Okinawa dugong, one of the Earth’s most endangered marine mammals.
Read more.U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Urged to Reject Import of Trump Jr.’s Argali Sheep Trophy
WASHINGTON— Conservation and animal-protection organizations today sent a letter urging the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to deny an import permit for the horns, skin or other parts of a trophy-hunted argali sheep killed by Donald Trump Jr. in Mongolia.
Read more.U.S. Law Enforcement Urged to Investigate Trump Jr.’s Reported Killing of Mongolian Argali Sheep Without Permit
WASHINGTON— The Center for Biological Diversity urged U.S. law enforcement officials today to investigate whether Don Trump Jr. can legally import a threatened argali sheep he killed in Mongolia last summer. According to news reports, the hunt took place, and the argali was shot, without the permit required under Mongolian law.
Read more.Pangolins Decline as Deadly Poaching Continues, Red List Experts Find
GLAND, Switzerland— Three pangolin species have moved closer to extinction, the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) declared today in an update to its respected “Red List of Threatened Species.” The scaly mammals continue to be hard-hit by poaching that serves an international market for their scales and meat.
Read more.Legal Action Initiated to Force Trump Administration to Halt U.S. Pangolin Trade
WASHINGTON— A coalition of wildlife groups today filed a notice of intent to sue the Trump administration for failing to propose pangolin protections under the U.S. Endangered Species Act.
Read more.House Committee Green-lights Climate-killing Export-Import Bank
WASHINGTON—The House Financial Services Committee this morning approved a bill reauthorizing the Export-Import Bank, a taxpayer-funded operation that has financed oil pipelines, mines, power plants and other environmentally destructive projects around the world.
Read more.Tests Find Plastic in 20 Percent of Mexican Fish
MEXICO CITY— Microplastics from product packaging and other sources are present in the stomachs of 20 percent of commercially important fish from three regions in Mexico, according to new tests by conservation groups and scientists from prominent Mexican universities.
Read more.Court Rejects Trump Administration Efforts to Shield Unlawful Trophy-hunting Council
NEW YORK— A federal district court in New York this morning rejected the Trump administration’s efforts to dismiss a lawsuit challenging the Department of the Interior’s International Wildlife Conservation Council, an advisory body composed primarily of trophy-hunting profiteers and firearm manufacturers.
Read more.House Democrats Advance Bill Protecting Lions, Elephants From Trophy Hunting
WASHINGTON— The House Natural Resources Committee advanced several bills today that would increase protection for imperiled wildlife, including legislation that would restrict imports of hunting trophies from dead African lions and elephants.
Read more.Trump Administration Grants First Trophy Import Permit for Tanzanian Lion
WASHINGTON— The Trump administration has authorized a U.S. hunter to import a lion trophy from Tanzania — the first allowed from that country since lions were given protection under the U.S. Endangered Species Act in January 2016. A Florida man received permission to import the lion’s skin, skull, claws and teeth, according to U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service records belatedly released under the Freedom of Information Act.
Read more.In Rare Good News for World’s Wildlife, Treaty Meeting Is Huge Success
GENEVA— As the 18th meeting of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) wraps up in Geneva today, nations confirmed new protections for dozens of endangered wildlife species. The CITES treaty regulates the trade in imperiled animals and plants — the second biggest threat to species’ survival after habitat loss.
Read more.Beautiful Ornamental Tarantulas Win Global Protections From Pet Trade
Geneva, Switzerland— More than a dozen kinds of tarantulas native to Sri Lanka and India will get stronger trade protections under an international treaty, with member countries voting to address over-collection in the wild and skyrocketing demand in the pet industry. The United States imports thousands of these tarantulas every year.
Read more.Teatfish Sea Cucumbers Get Much-needed Global Trade Protections
GENEVA— Nations around the world have voted to adopt critical trade protections for three types of sea cucumbers to curb overfishing and the animals’ steep population declines. The decision was reached during this week’s meeting of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES), a multilateral treaty that protects imperiled plants and wildlife affected by trade.
Read more.World Governments Agree to Trade Protections for Giraffes
GENEVA, Switzerland— Parties to an international wildlife treaty today agreed to regulate trade in giraffes, throwing the imperiled animals a lifeline as their populations plummet. A coalition of African nations proposed the protections, which require permits and tracking of exports in live and dead giraffes and their parts.
Read more.CITES’ Last Chance to Save Vaquita Porpoise
LONDON― As governments from around the world prepare to meet in Geneva for the 18th Conference of the Parties to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES), a new report urges the imposition of trade suspensions against Mexico for its failure to protect the critically endangered vaquita from illegal fishing and trade in the totoaba, a large fish found in Mexico’s Gulf of California.
Read more.Trump Administration Agrees to Revisit Ocean Salmon Fishing Impact on Endangered West Coast Orcas
SEATTLE― A lawsuit challenging West Coast salmon fishing’s impact on critically endangered orcas was put on hold today after the Trump administration agreed to update its analysis. A federal judge approved the settlement and stayed the case until May 1, 2020, or sooner if the National Marine Fisheries Service completes the new biological opinion that will include mitigation measures.
Read more.Demonstrators Rally for Imperiled Porpoises at Mexican Embassy in Washington D.C.
WASHINGTON— Conservation and animal-protection organizations rallied today outside the Mexican embassy to call on the Mexican government to take drastic action to save the few remaining vaquita porpoises left on the planet. According to scientific experts, between six and 22 of these marine mammals remain, with 10 being the most credible estimate of the population.
Read more.Scientists: Giraffes in Kenya, Tanzania ‘Endangered’
WASHINGTON— Highlighting the need for global action to fight giraffes’ silent extinction, a body of scientific experts today declared giraffes in Kenya and Tanzania — called Masai giraffes — endangered.
Read more.Comité del Patrimonio Mundial de UNESCO Designa Hábitat de la Vaquita Como “En Peligro”
BAKÚ, Azerbaiyán— El Comité del Patrimonio Mundial de la UNESCO aprobó hoy una designación de “en peligro” para una región de México que es el último hábitat de la vaquita marina en peligro de extinción y de un pez llamado totoaba. Un equipo internacional de expertos científicos recientemente concluyó que únicamente quedaban alrededor de 10 vaquitas vivas en 2018.
Read more.World Heritage Committee Designates Vaquita Porpoise Habitat as ‘In Danger’
BAKU, Azerbaijan— The UNESCO World Heritage Committee today approved an “in danger” designation for an area of Mexico that is the last remaining home of the critically endangered vaquita porpoise and an endangered fish called the totoaba. An international team of scientific experts recently concluded that only about 10 vaquitas remained alive in 2018.
Read more.Lawsuit Launched to Protect Critically Endangered Okinawa Woodpecker
WASHINGTON— The Center for Biological Diversity today filed a notice of its intent to sue the Trump administration for failing to protect the Okinawa woodpecker under the U.S. Endangered Species Act. Only between 50-249 mature individual Okinawa woodpeckers remain, and many inhabit a U.S. military facility in Japan.
Read more.Trump Administration Urged to Protect Giraffes on World Giraffe Day
WASHINGTON— On World Giraffe Day, a coalition of conservation and animal-protection organizations will pressure the Trump administration to move forward with Endangered Species Act protection for giraffes.
Read more.