Posted on: Tuesday, October 14, 2003

EDITORIAL
Endangered species policy must not change

While it may sound nice in theory, the Bush administration's latest interpretation of the Endangered Species Act sounds like a giveaway to trophy hunters who seek exotic animals to capture or kill.

The idea is to allow limited capturing, hunting and importing of a select list of endangered species, including the Asian elephant and others. The big bucks that people would pay for the privilege would be used to support conservation programs in the animal's home country.

But history tells us that where legal, if limited, traffic in these animals is allowed, illegal hunting and poaching is sure to follow.

And as much as we might wish it, there is no guarantee that all the money paid out for these trophies will go directly toward conservation. There will always be too many middlemen and competing demands for the cash.

Administration officials say the proposed new policy is consistent with the Endangered Species Act. If that is so, then the act should be rewritten.

Now, from time to time, a particular species recovers from endangered status and becomes healthy again. At that point, some limited hunting or capture might make sense.

The United States has been on the right side of this issue for many years, banning the sale or importation of endangered animals. This is no time to shift course.