STATEMENT OF THE DALLAS SAFARI CLUB IN FAVOR OF REFORM OF THE FOREIGN ASPECTS The Dallas Safari Club and its affiliates, have been long term supporters of wildlife conservation efforts for nearly 20 years. We have enjoyed a fine tradition of providing hundreds of thousands of dollars in grant funding to many worthwhile conservation efforts and outdoor educational programs. This organization has been a staunch supporter of the efforts made by State and Federal Officers in their endeavor to protect our natural resources, however, we are concerned over the frequent misapplication of the current Federal Endangered Species Act legislation. It is because of these concerns that we feel the need to reform the Federal Endangered Species Act, primarily the foreign aspects of such. The United States should promote international applications of the "Sustainable Use" concept for wildlife management around the world. Many developing nations must be allowed to realize the value of the sustainable use of their wildlife as a renewable resource. We must make a commitment to allow the exporting countries to realize this value of their wildlife, as a preferred conservation mechanism. Restricted quota based sport hunting not only provides an economic incentive for the local peoples directly involved, it also provides much needed income for the range state governments to finance ongoing conservation programs. These restricted tourist hunting quotas established by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Fauna and Flora, (CITES), of which our country is an active participant, should be accepted as the scientific standard in allowing importation. Certain species, for which there already exist CITES export quotas, are being denied import permits by our Fish & Wildlife Service under the current legislation. The grounds for denial usually arise from demands for often un-meetable studies and standards to be established by the individual requesting an importation permit prior to entry. Many of these species were legally harvested in countries where the species remains numerous and sport hunting quotas have been scientifically established through their CITES participation. Allowing the importing country to question the scientific authority over matters concerning the potential detriment of hunting and trophy export, severely limits the exporting country from developing sound wildlife management as a renewable resource, and only undermines any serious efforts to preserve the very species most at risk. 6390 LBJ Freeway, Suite 108 - Dallas, TX 75240-6414 214/980-9800 FAX 214/980-9925 DSC STATEMENT IN FAVOR OF ESA REFORM PAGE 2 The Dallas Safari Club respectfully requests that Congress amend the Federal Endangered Species Act to call for the legal importation of species for which quotas have been established by the CITES Conference of the Parties. These various quota mechanisms developed by the 124 member countries represent the most effective means of achieving conservation of the species in their home ranges. We appreciate this opportunity to address this most important matter, and look forward to the refocusing of our policies, through proper and necessary reform of the Federal Endangered Species Act, into a more reasonable posture, which not only recognizes the authorities in which that control should rest, but also truly advances world-wide wildlife conservation efforts. Bale S. Bilhartz President Dallas Safari Club The Endangered Species Act needs to be amended and incentives built into it. To this point in time, it has been a disincentive. It obstructs range nations' choice of conservation programs. Tourist hunting is a conservation measure of choice that generates revenue, gives the wildlife legitimate value in remote locations outside of protected areas, while it is low in risk and volume. Tourist hunting is a very important conservation tool that we deprive the range nations of when we list their species and interfere with trophy imports. Agency A few examples of many may demonstrate the problems. personnel in the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service shut down the importation of elephant trophies taken by tourist hunters in Tanzania that were taken on a CITES quota. The quota was only 50 elephants a year, out of a population of over 50,000 elephants. Nevertheless, the agency personnel stopped the importation of those trophies. Those hunts were generating approximately $60,000.00 ($60,000 X 50). In the two years it was closed, i.e., trophy imports were not allowed, the country lost $6 million dollars, 1990 and 1991. Countries with very stable elephant populations, like the Republic of South Africa and Namibia, suffered identical losses at the the same time. Nile crocodile in the African countries have been downlisted on CITES. There has been a quota set, but the USF&WS has taken years to permit simple trophy imports. The cheetah is another example. The cheetah has never been thought to be endangered in Namibia, and at the 8th conference of the parties of CITES, the world conservation community agreed upon a quota for the cheetah, because it would give it regulated value. Everyone was in agreement that thousands of cheetah had been shot on private land because it was a varmint, and that it would be much better served to be treated as a game animal and given value as such, much like the leopard had been done a decade before. That effort has been frustrated because the USF&WS has not permitted the importation of a single cheetah in three and one-half years. 4710 Bellaire Boulevard, Suite 110 Bellaire, Texas 77401 • Telephone 713 / 666-7171 |