Leopard import to stop?

[johnnyblues]

This could be very bad news if true. Leopard's To Be Found Endangered

American's will no longer be allowed to import leopard trophies.

The process has started with a 90 day call for submissions.

USF&W found "substantial scientific or commercial information indicating species should be listed"
in every instance in the last couple of years they have ruled the GAME species "Endangered" and importation prohibited.

Not everyone will agree with this statement, however the nuances are semantic and not practical", for 99% of the cases you end importation you end Americans hunting the animal.

 

[BRICKBURN]

Source?

 

[johnnyblues]

Marius from KMG sent me the article as he knows I'm planning a hunt

 

[johnnyblues]

Leopard hunting for Americans is coming to a screeching halt. First, let me clarify this is with respect to American's (not other nationalities); and applies to whether your trophy can be exported back to the US. Most of us can agree if the trophy can't be imported, it's moot whether it is still legal to hunt them or not. For our purposes: no legal importation equals not legal - right?

Fish & Wildlife say "they are under consideration", is merely going through the legal formalities - we all know how this will end. I suspect everyone with a pending importation permits will mysteriously see the paperwork lost or glacially slowed down.

The US Fish & Wildlife Service has issued a notice of "Substantial Findings" that the Leopard should be included under the US Endangered Species Act. In this humble writers opinion, leopards are about as common as coyotes in Africa, and evidencing the most backwards thinking this author has ever encountered. For goodness sakes leopards are showing up in towns. This initial finding is for a 90-day submission period. People will say "nothing has been decided yet", unfortunately people say anything.

To my knowledge the US Fish & Wildlife has not yet found a game species I am aware of not "endangered" and hunting restricted. If you have leopard skins in Africa EXPEDITE their shipment home.

If you have a leopard hunt on the books for 2017 or beyond, then you need to carefully specify with your outfitter in your contract what will happen if the hides becomes importable.

I hope I am wrong, but I think our chances of winning this are nil - the decision certainly isn't based on the science. Why don't you ask the Africans about their opinions on leopards?



See Federal Register below:

 

[LivingTheDream]

Well that's not good, I imagine they are trying to push this through before the new administration. Would like to see the article though. This definitely would impact my plans.

 

[LivingTheDream]

Thanks for posting the article. Need to start looking up if/where USFW has posted their "substantial findings".

 

[johnnyblues]

Source is outdoor adventures e- news

 

[johnnyblues]

I have Robert from SSI looking into it

 

[LivingTheDream]

Had to go to HSUS but looks like a report was issued on November 29th.

 

[BRICKBURN]

CURRENT USFWS STATUS:
http://ecos.fws.gov/ecp0/profile/speciesProfile?spcode=A01J
Please note the countries the USFWS ALREADY considers Leopard to be Endangered in:

Note the countries the current finding and petition are about.

Evaluation of a Petition To Reclassify Leopards Currently Listed as Threatened Species to Endangered Species Under the Act

Additional information regarding our review of this petition can be found as an appendix at http:// www.regulations.gov under Docket No. FWS–HQ–ES–2016–0131 under the Supporting Documents section.

Species and Range

Leopard (Panthera pardus): Democratic Republic of the Congo, Gabon, Kenya, and Uganda.

Petition History

On July 26, 2016, we received a petition dated July 25, 2016, from The Humane Society of the United States and the Fund for Animals, requesting that the leopard be reclassified as endangered throughout its range under the Act. The petition clearly identified itself as such and included the requisite identification information for the petitioner, required at 50 CFR 424.14(a). This finding addresses the petition.

Finding

Based on our review of the petition and sources cited in the petition, we find that the petition presents substantial scientific or commercial information indicating that reclassifying the leopard (Panthera pardus) as endangered throughout its range may be warranted, based on Factors A, B, D, and E (for a listing of the factors, see (2) under Request for Information for Status Reviews, above). However, during our status review, we will thoroughly evaluate all potential threats to the species, including the extent to which any protections or other conservation efforts have reduced those threats. Thus, for this species, the Service requests any information relevant to whether the species falls within the definition of an endangered species under section 3(6) of the Act, including information on the five listing factors under section 4(a)(1) and any other factors identified in this finding.

Federal Register/Vol. 81, No. 230/Wednesday, November 30, 2016/Proposed Rules 86317

 

[wesheltonj]

And Giraffe is not far behind.

 

[LivingTheDream]

So @BRICKBURN if I am reading this correctly this would only impact the countries where the leopard is listed at Threatened? Is it right to assume this would not impact imports from the other countries?

 

[johnnyblues]

Thanks Brick.

 

[BRICKBURN]

So @BRICKBURN if I am reading this correctly this would only impact the countries where the leopard is listed at Threatened? Is it right to assume this would not impact imports from the other countries?

Now you are asking me if I know what the USFWS is going to do. That is scary and I wish I knew more about the manner in which the US laws worked but, alas I am not an expert in that area at all.

I am not sure if this current dual status (threatened/endangered) allows the imports of Leopards and if the listing of the entire species as endangered across the board would put the feared halt on everything.

The folks at Conservation Force that battle this stuff all the time might know best.

 

[LivingTheDream]

@BRICKBURN I think we need to make you head of USFWS.

 

[robertq]

Dear All....No need for panic.
This is just a petition at present and according to our legal team, USFWL is seeking comments just like all petition requests.
We are standing by to hear more but again, let's keep calm until there is basis for such drastic action.
Will keep you posted.
Best,
Robert

 

[rookhawk]

So lets do some game theory based upon the above statements and the federal register.

IF one is intending to hunt Leopard in May/June timeframe, is it prudent to expedite a 12 month USFWS / CITES import authorization for leopard in the hopes that it can be imported through a grandfathered status in the event import issues arise?

Counterpoint, it took me 6 months to get my skins imported this go around (plains game, buffalo, hippo) which means that a 12 month permit issued now for leopard would leave that dangerously close 6 month window to get them out on that permit.

Interested to know the game theory around leopard import permits being requested before a hunt or after, especially in the present climate.

 

[johnnyblues]

Robert PLEASE keep me posted!

 

[cpr0312]

Thanks for the update Robert! I like a few others on tis thread are seriously contemplating leopard in 2017

 

[wesheltonj]

So @BRICKBURN if I am reading this correctly this would only impact the countries where the leopard is listed at Threatened? Is it right to assume this would not impact imports from the other countries?

Well, no. It would change threatened to endangered. And the effect would be the same as lions. The countries where they would remain threatened are Gabon, Congo, Zaire, Uganda, Kenya and could still be available for easier import, but the reality is different matter. Just like lions, you can import if the country can proved to USFWS the conservation benefit. Good luck with that. I am hopeful that Fish and Wildlife will change under Trump, but I would think three times before I would book a hunt, without the money held in some type of escrow account.

And as I stated in an earlier post Giraffe is next. If you are thinking about that hunt do it now.