Political Quotes

“as cochairs of the International Conservation Caucus, Senator Tom Udall and I stand together on Wildlife Conservation Day, December 4th, to emphasize the need for governments, organizations, and individuals to protect the world's endangered species, which face threats from poaching, illicit trade, pollution, and improper land use. The International Conservation Caucus has focused attention this Congress on poaching and the illegal wildlife trade, a lucrative and illicit global market worth anywhere from $5 to $20 billion annually. This trade threatens biodiversity, stability, and the rule of law. New initiatives proposed by the U.S. State Department are needed to protect wildlife, combat trafficking, and reduce demand. We applaud the State Department's commitment to strengthening a global system of wildlife enforcement and the work of the U.S. Agency for International Development to strengthen regional antitrafficking networks. In addition, we and our allies should investigate and prosecute wildlife crime more aggressively, but we should not see the seizure of ivory, rhino horns, and other wildlife products as the sole measure of success. We must also reduce demand, take down trafficking kingpins through international law enforcement efforts, and protect wildlife populations to prevent environmental devastation. Advanced technologies and modern forensics can aid these efforts.…”