In response to the dramatic decline of
lion populations in the wild, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) has this week announced it will list two lion subspecies under the Endangered Species
Act (ESA). Panthera leo leo,
located in India and western and central Africa, will be listed as endangered,
and Panthera leo melanochaita,
located in eastern and southern Africa, will be listed as threatened.
Concurrent
with this listing rule, to protect lions and other foreign and domestic
wildlife from criminal activity, Service Director Dan Ashe also issued a
Director’s Order to strengthen enforcement of wildlife permitting requirements.
The order, which aligns with President Obama’s National Strategy for combating Wildlife trafficking will ensure that
violators of wildlife laws are not subsequently granted permits for future
wildlife-related activities, including the import of sport-hunted trophies.
In
the last 20 years, lion populations have declined by 43 percent due to habitat
loss, loss of prey base, and retaliatory killing of lions by a growing human
population. Coupled with inadequate financial and other resources for countries
to effectively manage protected areas, the impact on lions in the wild has been
substantial.
“The
lion is one of the planet’s most beloved species and an irreplaceable part of
our shared global heritage,” said Ashe. “If we want to ensure that healthy lion
populations continue to roam the African savannas and forests of India, it’s up
to all of us – not just the people of Africa and India – to take action.”
In
March 2011, the Service received a petition to list the African lion subspecies
(P.
l. leo) as endangered under the ESA. In October 2014, the Service
published a 12-month finding and proposed a rule to list the African lion as
threatened with a special rule under section 4(d) of the ESA.
Based
on newly available scientific information on the genetics and taxonomy of
lions, the Service assessed the status of the entire lion species and
subsequently changed its earlier finding.
The
new science resolved that the western and central populations of African lion
are more genetically related to the Asiatic lion. These lions are now
considered the same subspecies, P.
l. leo. There are only about 1,400 of these lions remaining; 900 in
14 African populations and 523 in India. Considering the size and distribution
of the populations, population trends and the severity of the threats, the
Service has found that this subspecies meets the definition of endangered under
the ESA.
The
subspecies of P.
l. melanochaita likely
numbers between 17,000-19,000 and is found across southern and eastern Africa.
The Service determined that this subspecies is less vulnerable and is not
currently in danger of extinction. However, although lion numbers in southern
Africa are increasing overall, there are populations that are declining due to
ongoing threats. As a result, the Service finds the subspecies meets the
definition of a threatened species under the ESA.
With
an endangered listing, imports of P.
l. leo will generally
be prohibited, except in certain cases, such as when it can be found that the
import will enhance the survival of the species. To further strengthen
conservation measures for the threatened P.
l. melanochaita, the Service is also finalizing a rule under
section 4(d) of the ESA to establish a permitting mechanism regulating the
import of all P.
l. melanochaita parts
and products, including live animals and sport-hunted trophies, into the United
States. The process will ensure that imported specimens are legally obtained in
range countries as part of a scientifically sound management program that
benefits the subspecies in the wild.
The
final 4(d) rule will allow the Service to support changes that strengthen the
governance and accountability of conservation programs in other nations.
Well-managed conservation programs use trophy hunting revenues to sustain lion
conservation, research and anti-poaching activities.
“Sustainable
trophy hunting as part of a well-managed conservation program can and does
contribute to the survival of the species in the wild, providing real
incentives to oppose poaching and conserve lion populations,” said Ashe.
“Implementing a permit requirement will give us the authority we need to work
with African countries to help them improve their lion management programs.”
Permits
would also be required for scientific purposes, activities that enhance the
propagation or survival of the subspecies in the wild, zoological exhibitions,
educational purposes or other purposes consistent with the ESA.
Through
the Director’s Order, the Service is redoubling its efforts to ensure that the
world’s rarest species are protected from those who violate wildlife laws. The
Service has the authority to deny future permit applications for activities
such as sport-hunted trophy imports to anyone who has previously been convicted
of or pled guilty to violations of wildlife laws. The order will ensure that
this authority will be exercised to the fullest extent.
“Importing
sport-hunted trophies and other wildlife or animal parts into the United States
is a privilege, not a right; a privilege that violators of wildlife laws have
demonstrated they do not deserve,” said Ashe. “We are going to strengthen our
efforts to ensure those individuals – people who have acted illegally to
deprive our children of their wildlife heritage – are not rewarded by receipt
of wildlife permits in the future.”
The
Service is also working to increase the fees it charges for these permit
applications. Application fees facilitate the permit review process, including
the evaluation of sport hunting programs to determine whether permits for the
import of trophies may be granted. If finalized, the Service estimates an
increase in permit fees could result in full cost recovery for the permitting
program that would be used to make the necessary determinations.
The final lion rule published in the Federal Register this week will go into
effect 30 days after publication on January 22, 2016.
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