Safari Club International Statement On Proposed Rule For Three Exotic Antelope Species

July 8, 2011 - The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) announced on Thursday, July 7, 2011, a proposed rule to regulate the take of three endangered exotic antelope species – the scimitar-horned oryx, dama gazelle, and addax. The FWS was required to issue this proposed rule as a result of a 2009 order from the federal court.

The proposed rule states that the FWS will issue permits for the take of the three antelope species, in a manner similar to the way in which permits are issued for other exotic captive bred wildlife in the United States. The FWS has given the public 30 days to comment on the proposed rule. The current, permitless system will continue to apply until a final rule is issued.

In response to the rule, Safari Club International President Kevin Anderson released the following statement:

“Permits need not be the undoing of the exceptional conservation strides achieved by the private ranching and hunting communities in recovering these three species on captive herds in the U.S. SCI will be playing a leadership role in developing and recommending a process that will cause the least interference to the industry that has brought these three species back from the brink of extinction.

In addition, SCI maintains its long-standing position that the U.S. captive herds of these three species should never have been included in the endangered listing for these species in the wild. SCI has provided the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service with notice of our intent to sue the Service to challenge the listing of these U.S. captive populations. SCI will continue to fight on multiple fronts to prevent the Endangered Species Act, along with its inflexible restrictions and prohibitions, from sabotaging the conservation of these three antelope species.

Although the proposed rule seeks to generate a permit system for the take of the three antelope species, the details of this proposed system are still in the development stage. SCI and the hunting and ranching communities now have an invaluable opportunity to submit recommendations for a process that will continue to make it economically feasible for ranchers to raise, trade, breed and allow hunts for members of these species.

SCI encourages all individuals affiliated with the conservation of the scimitar-horned oryx, dama gazelle, and addax to provide substantive comments to the FWS. SCI will work with our partners in conservation to provide leadership for the entire hunting community.”

I am confused. Are not these animals, in the US, none native and found only in private herds?

Howard, yes, these animals are in private herds within the US. S. Oryx are also found in RSA. The are nearly extinct in N. Africa their origin. If the F&W halt hunting them in the US, it will be a foolish mistake. We have thousands of some species, enough to one day replenish indigenous herds. But alas, when does the USF&W do things wisely....Wolf reintroduction comes to mind

HOWARD
THEY ARE TALKING ABOUT ANIMALS THAT ARE NOT NATIVE TO THE U.S. BUT HAVE BEEN SAVED BY AMERICANS. TEXAS HAS THE LARGEST HERDS OF SCIMITARS, ADDAX, AND DAMA GAZELLE DUE TO THE FORESIGHT OF MANY LANDOWNERS WHO HAVE PUT THEM ON THEIR PROPERTY TO 1. SAVE THEM 2. CREATE A VALUE FOR THEM (SELLING, HUNTNG, TRADING) AND 3. TROPHY HUNTING FOR A SPECIES THAT COULD NOT BE OBTAINED OTHERWISE. THEY ARE A NON-INDIGENOUS SPECIES THAT THE GOVT IS NOW TRYING TO REGULATE, THE GOVT SEEMS TO FORGET THEY ARE EXOTIC. THE SAD PART IS THAT IF THIS DOES GO INTO AFFECT LANDOWNERS WILL NO LONGER BE ABLE TO FEED THEM AND WHATS THE USE IN KEEPING THEM IF YOU CAN NOT GET A RETURN. IT WILL BE A VERY SAD DAY IN CONSERVATION IF THIS GOES THROUGH.

DAVID,

quote:

We have thousands of some species, enough to one day replenish indigenous herds

quote:

We have thousands of some species, enough to one day replenish indigenous herds.

I KNOW OF A RANCH IN SOUTH TEXAS THAT HAS A TREMENDOUS BREEDING PROGRAM FOR ARABIAN ORYX. THE LANDOWNER HAS BEGUN THE REINTRODUCTION PROCESS TO SEND ANIMALS BACK INTO NORTH AFRICA. IF USFW WERE TO ALLOW LANDOWNERS TO DO WHAT THEY WANTED WITH THEM INSTEAD OF REGULATE THE HUNTING OF THEM THEY WOULD HAVE TRIPLE THE AMOUNT OF ARABIAN ORYX IN TEXAS. THUS MORE TO REINTRODUCE. THEY JUST CANT SEE IT OR UNDERSTAND IT.

quote:

THEY ARE A NON-INDIGENOUS SPECIES THAT THE GOVT IS NOW TRYING TO REGULATE, THE GOVT SEEMS TO FORGET THEY ARE EXOTIC.

The Govt seems to forget that these are PRIVATE animals, just like cattle and sheep.

Which is why I got my scimitar last fall and going after an addax the second week of August.

Our government is tittering on the brink of being completely out of control.

quote:

Originally posted by JHL:
DAVID,

quote:

We have thousands of some species, enough to one day replenish indigenous herds

quote:

We have thousands of some species, enough to one day replenish indigenous herds.

I KNOW OF A RANCH IN SOUTH TEXAS THAT HAS A TREMENDOUS BREEDING PROGRAM FOR ARABIAN ORYX. THE LANDOWNER HAS BEGUN THE REINTRODUCTION PROCESS TO SEND ANIMALS BACK INTO NORTH AFRICA. IF USFW WERE TO ALLOW LANDOWNERS TO DO WHAT THEY WANTED WITH THEM INSTEAD OF REGULATE THE HUNTING OF THEM THEY WOULD HAVE TRIPLE THE AMOUNT OF ARABIAN ORYX IN TEXAS. THUS MORE TO REINTRODUCE. THEY JUST CANT SEE IT OR UNDERSTAND IT.

I hate to play devil's (gov't) advocate but.....this is presuming that these breeders are ethical and not just pumping out poorly bred, disease-ridden animals for the money. I wish everyone could be counted on to do the right thing, but those that can are becoming fewer by the day.

quote:

Originally posted by Norton
I hate to play devil's (gov't) advocate but.....this is presuming that these breeders are ethical and not just pumping out poorly bred, disease-ridden animals for the money. I wish everyone could be counted on to do the right thing, but those that can are becoming fewer by the day.

Oh good grief. Name one species of livestock that they, owners/ranchers, push out for market purposes that are poorly bred and diseased.

You want sound, healthy, well managed herds, put profit potential on it.

If you want it to crash and burn put the government in charge. You think the government will be ethical? Heck history should show you all they will do it bloat the bureaucracy and act in the way that they perceive will best protect their jobs and grow their funding.

That all also ignores the even bigger picture and the really scary setting precedent. That is giving the government the right to tell you when you have to sell your property.

Howard, you summed it up very well. The only species I know of that is poorly bred and diseased lives in Washington DC. They're in need of some new blood desparately.

Permit Exclusions Eliminated for “The Three Amigos”
Written By John J. Jackson III, Conservation Force Chairman & President
(posted August 2011)

The US Fish & Wildlife Service (USF&WS) has finally published a response to the Court decision that it could not exempt Endangered Species Act (ESA) “endangered” listed scimitar-horned oryx, addax and dama gazelle (“The Three Amigos”) from captive-bred and cull permitting. The exemption adopted when the three were listed on September 2, 2005 (70 FR 52319) provided that no permit was necessary and no permit publication was necessary before breeding and culling those exotics within the United States. The regulation creating that exemption was held by the District Court to be in violation of the ESA because there were no permits published in the Federal Register for public comment. The matter was remanded back to the agency on June 22, 2009 for action consistent with the Court’s order.

Since June 22, 2009, two full years, the USF&WS has not been able to find a lawful way to eliminate the requirement for a permit and public notice and comments on the pending permit application. Despite some express promises that they were working on an alternative, the Notice is entitled Removal of the Regulation That Excludes U.S. Captive-Bred Scimitar-Horned Oryx, Addax, and Dama Gazelle from Certain Prohibitions, 76 FR 39804, July 7, 2011. Permits will be required according to the proposal.

The proposed action “would eliminate the exclusion” that exempted the species from permitting. It states “a person would need to qualify for an exemption or obtain an authorization under the current statutory and regulatory requirements to breed or cull the three species.”

The proposed action “would eliminate the exclusion” of these three captive-bred exotics from the normal requirement that a ranch owner have both a permit to breed and a second to cull/hunt the species on his property. The permits must be individual ranch permits.

Comments must be postmarked or received on or before August 8, 2011. The agency welcomes suggestions and this is an opportunity to suggest how the longstanding captive-bred and cull permitting regime can be improved. For example, one suggestion might be that notices of expiration be sent to permittees before their permits expire. Another might be to make the cull permits two years long rather than one year so that renewals are not so often. Ranchers that have had bad experiences or complaints about the current system must speak up now. Conservation Force welcomes all suggestions and will pass them along in its own comments.

The biggest problem we have encountered with the normal regulatory requirement to have a captive-bred and cull permit is ranchers’ failure to do the required annual report and the failure to timely file a permit renewal application before it expires. A recent regulation seems to require that a renewal application be filed more than 30 days before the permits expire if they are to remain in effect while they are being noticed in the Federal Register and processed for months or more. This is necessary for both the captive-bred and cull permits.

Another problem has been the fact that the antis track down the identity of those receiving revenue from these programs for projects that benefit the species (five percent or more of the gross revenue from the culling/hunting). The antis then threaten and intimidate the recipients of the project revenue. Many then reject the funds and cancel the projects. This is why Conservation Force has had to create its Ranching for Restoration Program and substitute itself as the recipient. Then all the funds are passed through Conservation Force without any administrative fee. Perhaps it is time to curtail that because the Court upheld the USF&WS finding that the activity enhanced the survival of the species and, of course, culling of captive-bred animals is a necessary husbandry practice.

It seems to be clear and inevitable that the two permits are to be required unless the ESA is amended by Congress. The most we hope for is improvement in the administration of the permitting. On the other hand, be forewarned that the antis opposed to captive breeding and culling-husbandry necessities will have some suggestions of their own! Comments will be posted on http://www.regulations.gov. The Federal Register proposal can be found at 76 FR 39804, July 7, 2011 and is posted on Conservation Force’s website under News and Alerts at http://www.conservationforce.org/news.html.
Remember, the agency can’t change the ESA, but you can suggest a change of regulation or the way the law is administered by the agency.

So what do owners and managers of these animals do in the interval? The exemption from permits is still in effect until noticed that it is not in effect. Operate as usual but be mindful that you will have to give the status and history of your ranch population in both your breed and cull permit applications. You can prepare by collecting that information while waiting. Filing for permits now is premature. The agency does not want them until the new regulation is complete. When the time comes, Conservation Force will act as legal counsel, assist all permit applicants and maintain projects in the countries of origin of the species, as it has done for over a decade in its Ranching for Restoration Program. If you wish to get on our list, send the following information to Conservation Force at jjw-no@att.net: 1.) Your name, phone and contact information, including postal and e-mail addresses, 2.) the name and address of your ranch, 3.) the estimated number of the three species.

It is also important to note that the District Court upheld part of the rule that was struck down. It upheld the hunting and found it constituted “enhancement.” This means a rancher does not have to find and fund an overseas project that will accept a percentage of the revenue from the hunting. Thus, the antis can no longer intimidate overseas recipients out of accepting some of the revenue. It is important that commenters get the FWS to keep that part of the rule upheld. It is enhancement.

quote:

Originally posted by L. David Keith:
Howard, you summed it up very well. The only species I know of that is poorly bred and diseased lives in Washington DC. They're in need of some new blood desparately.

I go beyond, they must be erradicated from the face of the earth and bring a "new politic specie", same in my country. G1