Emperor Penguins Win U.S. Endangered Species Act Protection

[UngulateNerd92]

Melting Sea Ice Pushing Animals Toward Extinction, Urgent Climate Action Needed.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service today granted the emperor penguin protection under the Endangered Species Act because of threats from sea-ice loss driven by the climate crisis. The decision follows a petition and lawsuit from the Center for Biological Diversity.

“This is a big win for these beloved, iconic penguins and all of us who want them to thrive,” said Shaye Wolf, Ph.D., the Center’s climate science director. “At the same time, this decision is a warning that emperor penguins need urgent climate action if they’re going to survive. The penguin’s very existence depends on whether our government takes strong action now to cut climate-heating fossil fuels and prevent irreversible damage to life on Earth.”

Emperor Penguins Win U.S. Endangered Species Act Protection

 

[birdsandbats]

USFWS is only giving Endangered species status to species not found in the country, at which point who cares anyway.

 

[amur leopard]

Why does this matter in any way? I'm confused as to what protections the USFWS can give to a species that doesn't occur anywhere near the US?

 

[PossumRoach]

Why does this matter in any way? I'm confused as to what protections the USFWS can give to a species that doesn't occur anywhere near the US?

I am not really well versed with the ESA so this statement might come off as a bit ignorant, but one function of the act is, according the the US Fish and Wildlife Service,

"Under the Endangered Species Act (ESA), the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service has been designated to carry out the provisions of CITES through the Division of Management Authority and the Division of Scientific Authority."

So for some exotic species the ESA functions as an enforcement of CITES. However there are also animals not covered by CITES, such as the Parma Wallaby, that are listed on the ESA. Regardless, most of these listings are still useful to tackle illegal trade within the US.

However I do not know how this will help non-native animals affected by climate and habitat destruction either.

 

[Pantheraman]

Funny how they seem to care more about non-native species over the native endangered species.

 

[zoomaniac]

Does this have any impact to the Emperor Penguins at SW San Diego?

 

[UngulateNerd92]

Does this have any impact to the Emperor Penguins at SW San Diego?

I was wondering that myself, you mean the ones kept at SeaWorld and at the University of California San Diego?

 

[birdsandbats]

Does this have any impact to the Emperor Penguins at SW San Diego?

It just means they'd have to go through a bit more paperwork to transport them between facilities.

 

[UngulateNerd92]

It just means they'd have to go through a bit more paperwork to transport them between facilities.

Alright, that would make sense.

 

[PossumRoach]

It just means they'd have to go through a bit more paperwork to transport them between facilities.

Even for facilities within the same state?

 

[UngulateNerd92]

It just means they'd have to go through a bit more paperwork to transport them between facilities.

Alright, that would make sense.

 

[birdsandbats]

Even for facilities within the same state?

Yes.