Last week, in a step applauded by USSA, U.S. Representative Don Young (R- AK) introduced new legislation allowing for the importation of already existing polar bear trophies. Currently, all importation of trophies is prohibited due to the recent decision by the Department of the Interior to list them as “threatened” under the Endangered Species Act (ESA).
The bill, HR 6936, will eliminate the questions regarding what happens with already existing trophies and permits that began when the U.S. Department of Interior listed polar bears as threatened this past May. Under this designation all trophies were banned from being imported.
USSA continues to argue against this designation and has consistently pointed out that it was a political decision in response to a lawsuit by certain environmental activists that are claiming that polar bear numbers will decline in fifty years because of global warming and shrinking arctic ice. USSA has pointed out that listing them as “threatened” under the ESA does nothing to deal with the alleged cause of the supposed decline and that the action will have bad consequences for the population due to drying up the conservation dollars generated by hunter fees.
