Legislation to protect wildlife from poaching in the Okavango River Basin of southern Africa was passed this week by the United States House of Representatives, where members who sponsored the bill raised the alarm over ties between wildlife trafficking and terrorist organization finance.

“This ecosystem spans three countries,” said bill co-sponsor Rep. Ed Royce (R-CA), one of dozens of legislators from both main political parties to support it. “It starts in the highlands of Angola, and it flows through Namibia and Botswana. Like other regions across Africa, there is a challenge here in the poaching and trafficking of threatened species in the delta.”

Those challenges include the terror threat fueled by trafficking profits in the hands of extremists and international criminal networks. “These deadly groups undermine regional stability. They spread violence. They disrupt local governance,” Royce said during the legislative session. “They have a devastating impact on the economic opportunities for members of the community.” Rep. Ed Royce (R-CA), Nancy Lindborg, Sen. Chris Coons (D-DE)

The bill, called the DELTA Act, establishes U.S. support for a cooperative conservation effort in the Okavango basin countries while boosting the success of wildlife enforcement officers in the region. Once passed in the U.S. House, it now goes to the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations for further review.

Royce, along with U.S. Sen. Chris Coons (D-DE), spoke at length this week about the issue during a discussion on illegal trafficking and terrorism hosted by the U.S. Institute of Peace. Their session on African wildlife protection, sustainable economic development and terror risk reduction is available at this link.

What are folk's thoughts on this

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This is what I think
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Ed Royce has been a pretty sensible member of Congress for many years. My thinking is not to immediately criticize, but to wait and see the results.

This is good, because it will make funding and resources available for conservation enforcement.

Implementation has to be by those who know what they're doing, e.g. INTERPOL, TRAFFIC and the member states concerned.

quote:

Originally posted by ijl:
This is good, because it will make funding and resources available for conservation enforcement.

Implementation has to be by those who know what they're doing, e.g. INTERPOL, TRAFFIC and the member states concerned.

Keep on dreaming my friend!

This is nothing but a self glorifying step to make those idiots look good.

quote:

Originally posted by Saeed:

quote:

Originally posted by ijl:
This is good, because it will make funding and resources available for conservation enforcement.

Implementation has to be by those who know what they're doing, e.g. INTERPOL, TRAFFIC and the member states concerned.

Keep on dreaming my friend!

This is nothing but a self glorifying step to make those idiots look good.

+100%.

My take is that it's just like any other federal government program - if you want our funding you have to do it our way. "Elephant hunting? No way, Mr. Botswanaian! We in the USofA know much better than you that such majestic animals should never be harmed. And we can't really tell the difference between hunting and poaching, anyway." If the US creates a program there will need to be someone to administer it and that can be either a very good or, more likely in my jaundiced view, a very, very bad thing for sustainable management.
Hope I'm wrong, but this looks like a bureaucrat poking its nose under the tent.
kh

quote:

Originally posted by kevin henderson:
My take is that it's just like any other federal government program - if you want our funding you have to do it our way. "Elephant hunting? No way, Mr. Botswanaian! We in the USofA know much better than you that such majestic animals should never be harmed. And we can't really tell the difference between hunting and poaching, anyway." If the US creates a program there will need to be someone to administer it and that can be either a very good or, more likely in my jaundiced view, a very, very bad thing for sustainable management.
Hope I'm wrong, but this looks like a bureaucrat poking its nose under the tent.
kh

The term "Ecological Colonialism" encapsulates your first paragraph.

Keep firmly in mind that if solving a problem were so easy by just passing a law there would be no murders. I like the following Mark Twain quote:
"No man's life, liberty, or property are safe while the legislature is in session."