U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Releases Annual List of Foreign Candidates under Endangered Species Act
Washington, DC –-(Ammoland.com)- The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) today released its Annual Notice of Review of Foreign Species, a yearly appraisal of the current status of foreign plants and animals that are considered candidates for protection under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). Currently, there are 5,594 foreign species listed under the ESA, compared to about 1,371 species native to the United States.
The Service designated 20 foreign species as candidates for ESA protection. Candidate species are those for which the Service has enough information on their status and threats to propose them as threatened or endangered, but developing a proposed rule to add them to the federal lists of threatened and endangered wildlife and plants is precluded by higher priority listing actions.
As part of this review, the Service is soliciting additional information on these 20 candidate species, which include the southern helmeted curassow (Bolivia, Peru); Bogota rail (Colombia); Takahe (New Zealand); Chatham oystercatcher (Chatham Islands, New Zealand); Orange-fronted parakeet (New Zealand); Uvea parakeet, (Uvea, New Caledonia); blue-throated macaw (Bolivia); helmeted woodpecker (Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay); Okinawa woodpecker (Okinawa Island, Japan); yellow-browed toucanet (Peru); Brasilia tapaculo (Brazil); Codfish Island fernbird (Codfish Island, New Zealand); Ghizo white-eye (Solomon Islands); black-backed tanager (Brazil); Lord Howe pied currawong (Lord Howe Islands, New South Wales) Harris’ mimic swallowtail (Brazil); Jamaican kite swallowtail (Jamaica); Fluminense swallowtail (Brazil); Hahnel’s Amazonian swallowtail (Brazil); Kaiser-I-Hind swallowtail (Bhutan, China, India, Laos, Myanmar, Nepal, Thailand, and Vietnam). This information will be valuable in preparing listing documents and future revisions or supplements to the notice of review.
All candidates are assigned a listing priority number based on the magnitude and imminence of the threats they face. In many cases, habitat loss and degradation is the most significant threat to these species. The complete notice and list of proposed and candidate species that appears in the Federal Register and can be found online at www.fws.gov/endangered/what-we-do/international-activities.html.
By listing foreign species under the ESA, it can generate conservation benefits such as increased awareness of listed species, research efforts to address conservation needs or funding for in-situ conservation of the species in its range countries. The ESA provides for limited financial assistance to develop and manage programs to conserve listed species in foreign countries, encourages conservation programs for such species, and allows for assistance for programs, such as personnel and training.
Grant opportunities exist for critically endangered species that face an extremely high risk of extinction in the immediate future. To find information on the Service’s Wildlife Without Borders-Critically Endangered Animals Conservation Fund, please visit www.fws.gov/international/DIC/global/critically_endangered_animals_conservationfund.html .
The ESA provides a critical safety net for fish, wildlife and plants and to date has prevented the extinction of hundreds of imperiled species, as well as promoting the recovery of many others. The Service is actively engaged with conservation partners and the public in the search for improved and innovative ways to conserve and recover imperiled species.
The mission of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is working with others to conserve, protect and enhance fish, wildlife, plants and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American people. We are both a leader and trusted partner in fish and wildlife conservation, known for our scientific excellence, stewardship of lands and natural resources, dedicated professionals and commitment to public service. For more information on our work and the people who make it happen, visit www.fws.gov.