[Congressional Bills 115th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Res. 80 Agreed to Senate (ATS)]

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115th CONGRESS
  1st Session
S. RES. 80

         Designating March 3, 2017, as ``World Wildlife Day''.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             March 2, 2017

    Mr. Coons (for himself and Mr. Inhofe) submitted the following 
             resolution; which was considered and agreed to

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
         Designating March 3, 2017, as ``World Wildlife Day''.

Whereas wildlife has provided numerous economic, environmental, social, and 
        cultural benefits during the course of human history and wildlife 
        conservation will secure these gifts for future generations;
Whereas plant and animal species play an important role in the stability of 
        diverse ecosystems around the world and the conservation of this 
        biodiversity is critical to maintain the delicate balance of nature and 
        keep complex ecosystems thriving;
Whereas observation of wild plants and animals in their natural habitat provides 
        individuals with a more enriching world view and a greater appreciation 
        of the wonders of the natural environment;
Whereas tens of millions of individuals in the United States strongly support 
        the conservation of wildlife, both domestically and abroad, and wish to 
        ensure the survival of species in the wild, such as rhinoceroses, 
        tigers, elephants, pangolins, turtles, seahorses, sharks, ginseng, 
        mahogany, and cacti;
Whereas the trafficking of wildlife, including timber and fish, comprises the 
        fourth largest global illegal trade after narcotics, the counterfeiting 
        of products and currency, and human trafficking and has become a major 
        transnational organized crime with an estimated worth of as much as 
        $19,000,000,000 annually;
Whereas increased demand in Asia for high-value illegal wildlife products, 
        particularly elephant ivory and rhinoceros horns, has recently triggered 
        substantial and rapid increases in poaching of these species, 
        particularly in Africa;
Whereas trafficking of wildlife is a primary threat to many wildlife species, 
        including elephants, rhinoceroses, tigers, pangolins, and sharks;
Whereas many different kinds of criminals, including some terrorist entities and 
        rogue security personnel, often in collusion with corrupt government 
        officials, are involved in wildlife poaching and the movement of ivory 
        and rhinoceros horns across Africa;
Whereas wildlife poaching presents significant security and stability challenges 
        for military and police forces in African nations that are often 
        threatened by heavily armed poachers and the criminal and extremist 
        allies of those poachers;
Whereas wildlife poaching negatively impacts local communities that rely on 
        natural resources for economic development, including tourism;
Whereas penal and financial deterrents can improve the ability of African 
        governments to reduce poaching and trafficking and enhance their 
        capabilities of managing their resources;
Whereas assisting institutions in developing nations, including material, 
        training, legal, and diplomatic support, can reduce illegal wildlife 
        trade;
Whereas wildlife provides a multitude of benefits to all nations and wildlife 
        crime has wide-ranging economic, environmental, and social impacts;
Whereas the African elephant population has declined by 27 percent in the last 
        decade, primarily as a result of poaching, and only approximately 
        415,000 such elephants remain in Africa;
Whereas, from 2007 to 2012, the number of elephants killed in Kenya increased by 
        more than 800 percent, from 47 to 387 elephants killed;
Whereas, as a result of poaching, forest elephant populations in Minkebe 
        National Park in Gabon have declined by 78 to 81 percent;
Whereas the number of forest elephants in the Congo Basin in Central Africa 
        declined by approximately \2/3\ between 2002 and 2012, placing forest 
        elephants on track for extinction in the next decade;
Whereas the number of rhinoceroses killed by poachers in South Africa--

    (1) increased by more than 9,000 percent between 2007 and 2014, from 13 
to more than 1,200 rhinoceroses killed; and

    (2) was 1,175 in 2015;

Whereas fewer than 4,000 tigers remain in the wild throughout all of Asia;
Whereas pangolins are often referred to as the most trafficked mammal in the 
        world;
Whereas all 8 pangolin species spanning Africa and Asia are faced with 
        extinction because pangolin scales are sought after in the practice of 
        traditional Chinese medicine and pangolin meat is considered a delicacy;
Whereas approximately 100,000,000 sharks are killed annually, often targeted 
        solely for their fins, and unsustainable trade is the primary cause of 
        serious population decline in several shark species, including scalloped 
        hammerhead sharks, great hammerhead sharks, and oceanic whitetip sharks;
Whereas the United States is developing and implementing measures to address the 
        criminal, financial, security, and environmental aspects of wildlife 
        trafficking;
Whereas Congress has allocated specific resources to combat wildlife trafficking 
        and address the threats posed by poaching and the illegal wildlife 
        trade;
Whereas, in December 2013, the United Nations General Assembly proclaimed March 
        3 as World Wildlife Day to celebrate and raise awareness of the wild 
        fauna and flora around the world;
Whereas March 3, 2017, represents the fourth annual celebration of World 
        Wildlife Day;
Whereas, in 2017, the theme of World Wildlife Day is ``Listen to the Young 
        Voices''; and
Whereas, in 2017, World Wildlife Day commemorations will encourage young people, 
        as the future leaders and decision makers of the world, to act at both 
        local and global levels to protect wildlife and to rally together to 
        address the ongoing overexploitation and illicit trafficking of 
        wildlife: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the Senate--
            (1) designates March 3, 2017, as ``World Wildlife Day'';
            (2) supports raising awareness of the benefits that 
        wildlife provides to people and the threats facing wildlife 
        around the world;
            (3) supports escalating the fight against wildlife crime, 
        including wildlife trafficking;
            (4) applauds the domestic and international efforts to 
        escalate the fight against wildlife crime;
            (5) commends the efforts of the United States to mobilize 
        the entire Government in a coordinated, efficient, and 
        effective manner for dramatic progress in the fight against 
        wildlife crime; and
            (6) encourages continued cooperation between the United 
        States, international partners, local communities, nonprofit 
        organizations, private industry, and other partner 
        organizations in an effort to conserve and celebrate wildlife, 
        preserving this precious resource for future generations.
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