63 



Svumnary o£ testimony 



on the 



Wild Bird Conservation Act 



James P . Leape 



World Wildlife Fund 



1250 Twenty-Fourth St., NW 



Washington DC 20037-1175 



(202) 293-4800 



September 28, 1995 



The United States plays a huge role in international trade 

 in wildlife; at more than $1 billion in annual imports, this 

 country remains the world's largest wildlife market. Our level 

 of vigilance and active assistance helps determine the fate of 

 many commercially-valuable species, and we believe that the U.S. 

 therefore has a special responsibility to maintain strong 

 policies and laws to ensure that commerce in wildlife -- and in 

 this case, birds -- does not put species at risk. 



The Wild Bird Conservation Act remains a viable framework 

 through which the U.S. can control imports of birds. Although 

 there have been a few glitches in its implementation, they can be 

 fixed administratively, and do not -- with the one exception 

 noted below -- require a change in the law. If the Act is 

 reauthorized, it should not be tinkered with, but rather it 

 should be given a chance to work as it was intended. Our 

 specific recommendations are as follows: 



o Final regulations implementing the Act should be issued 

 promptly. 



o The Fish and Wildlife Service should be provided sufficient 

 funds for the Act's implementation. 



o Assistance should be provided to range states to help them 

 conserve their wild bird populations. 



o The Fish and Wildlife Service should focus its limited 

 resources on regulations ensuring that the bird trade does not 

 have a negative impact on wild populations, rather than issuing 

 bird marking regulations. 



o If the Act is reauthorized, the Appendix III issue should be 

 clarified. 



