[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 37 (Thursday, February 28, 2019)]
[Senate]
[Pages S1604-S1605]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 SENATE RESOLUTION 91--DESIGNATING MARCH 3, 2019, AS ``WORLD WILDLIFE 
                                 DAY''

  Mr. COONS (for himself and Mr. Portman) submitted the following 
resolution; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary:

                               S. Res. 91

       Whereas wildlife has provided numerous economic, 
     environmental, social, and cultural benefits during the 
     course of human history and wildlife conservation will secure 
     those 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 that biodiversity is critical to maintain the 
     delicate balance of nature and keep complex ecosystems 
     thriving;
       Whereas 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;
       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 
     $23,000,000,000 annually;
       Whereas increased demand in Asia for high-value illegal 
     wildlife products, particularly elephant ivory and rhinoceros 
     horns, has triggered substantial and rapid increases in 
     poaching of those species;
       Whereas the 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, extremist allies of those 
     poachers;
       Whereas wildlife poaching negatively impacts local 
     communities that rely on natural resources for economic 
     development, including through tourism;
       Whereas assisting institutions in developing nations, 
     including by providing 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 Status Report 2016 issued by 
     the International Union for Conservation of Nature revealed 
     that the elephant population of Africa has recently seen a 
     dramatic decline, mainly due to poaching, and the continental 
     population is now thought to be approximately 415,000;
       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, between 2002 and 2013, as a result of poaching, 
     about 65 percent of the forest elephant population in Central 
     Africa was killed and forest elephants lost 30 percent of the 
     geographical range of forest elephants, placing forest 
     elephants on track for extinction in the next decade;
       Whereas fewer than 50,000 wild Asian elephants remain and 
     poaching of these populations is on the rise, with an average 
     of 1 elephant poached every week in Burma, driven by demand 
     for elephant skin products;
       Whereas the number of rhinoceroses killed by poachers in 
     South Africa--
       (1) dramatically increased from 13 in 2007 to 1,215 in 
     2014, an increase of more than 9,000 percent; and
       (2) was 769 in 2018;
       Whereas--
       (1) the 3 species of Asian rhinoceroses also remain under 
     constant threat of poaching; and
       (2) the total populations of Javan and Sumatran rhinoceros 
     number fewer than 100 individuals in the wild;
       Whereas fewer than 4,000 tigers remain in the wild 
     throughout 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 the oceans--
       (1) cover \3/4\ of the surface of the Earth;
       (2) contain 97 percent of the water on the Earth;
       (3) represent 99 percent of the living space on the earth 
     by volume; and
       (4) contain nearly 200,000 identified animal species;
       Whereas the global market value of marine and coastal 
     resources and industries is estimated to be approximately 
     $3,000,000,000,000 per year, representing about 5 percent of 
     global gross domestic product;
       Whereas more than 3,000,000,000 people depend on marine and 
     coastal biodiversity for their livelihoods;
       Whereas an estimated 8,000,000 metric tons of plastic enter 
     the ocean every year, harming a wide range of wildlife 
     species;
       Whereas illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing 
     (referred to in this preamble as ``IUU fishing'') represents 
     a multibillion dollar criminal industry that--
       (1) undercuts the economic livelihoods of legitimate 
     fishermen;
       (2) weakens marine animal populations;
       (3) poses a threat to international security; and
       (4) threatens food security for communities around the 
     world;
       Whereas overfishing--
       (1) contributes to the rapid depletion of many species of 
     fish; and
       (2) hinders efforts to save and restore global fisheries 
     and the jobs relating to those fisheries;
       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 vaquita porpoise of Mexico, with fewer than 14 
     individual porpoises remaining, is being driven to 
     extinction;
       Whereas penal and financial deterrents can--
       (1) improve the ability of governments to reduce poaching, 
     trafficking, and IUU fishing; and
       (2) enhance the capabilities of those governments to manage 
     their resources;
       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 IUU fishing and address additional 
     threats to wildlife;
       Whereas Congress passed the Eliminate, Neutralize, and 
     Disrupt Wildlife Trafficking Act of 2016 (16 U.S.C. 7601 et 
     seq.) to strengthen the response of the United States to the 
     global wildlife trafficking crisis;
       Whereas Congress passed the Save Our Seas Act of 2018 
     (Public Law 115-265; 132 Stat. 3742)--
       (1) to address land- and sea-based sources of marine 
     debris; and
       (2) to promote international action to reduce the incidence 
     of marine debris;

[[Page S1605]]

       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, 2019, represents the sixth annual 
     celebration of World Wildlife Day;
       Whereas, in 2019, the theme of World Wildlife Day is ``Life 
     below water: for people and planet''; and
       Whereas, in 2019, World Wildlife Day commemorations will--
       (1) raise awareness about the breathtaking diversity of 
     marine life;
       (2) highlight the crucial importance of marine species to 
     human development; and
       (3) encourage future generations to continue efforts to 
     protect marine ecosystems: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the Senate--
       (1) designates March 3, 2019, 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 and illegal, unreported, and 
     unregulated fishing;
       (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 Federal 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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