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Polar Bear Trophy Bill Passes Committee

National Rifle Association

FAIRFAX, Va. --(Ammoland.com)- On October 5th, 2011, the House Natural Resources Committee passed Rep. Don Young’s (R- Alaska) bill to allow the importation of legally hunted polar bear trophies (H.R. 991) by voice vote.

H.R. 991 would allow Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar to issue import permits for polar bear trophies legally taken in sport hunts in Canada, prior to listing of world-wide polar bear populations under the Endangered Species Act.

On May 15, 2008, the Department of the Interior listed the world-wide polar bear population as a threatened species. Due to the Endangered Species Act listing, polar bears are automatically listed as depleted under the Marine Mammal Protection Act.

The Marine Mammal Protection Act prohibits the importation of hunting trophies for a depleted species. On the date of this listing, approximately 41 hunters had successfully hunted a polar bear from an approved population in Canada. H.R. 991 will reunite these legal hunters with their prized trophies.

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SCI Applauds Congressional Hearing on Legislation to Import Legally Harvested Polar Bears

Safari Club International Foundation

Washington, D.C. --(Ammoland.com)- Safari Club International (SCI) applauds the House Subcommittee on Insular Affairs, Oceans and Wildlife for holding a hearing addressing Congressman Don Young’s (R-AK) legislation allowing the importation of approximately 40 polar bears.

Young’s bill, HR 991, will amend the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA) to authorize the Secretary to issue import permits for polar bears taken legally from approved populations in Canada prior to the importation ban imposed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) on May 15, 2008.

The ban deprived these individuals of their rightful property. HR 991 would help rectify this unfortunate situation by allowing only the importation of these already harvested polar bears. The bill would not authorize the importation of bears hunted in the future.

“The harvest of these animals provided important income to local native communities, thus supporting sustainable use conservation of this species. The bears were harvested based on quotas reflecting the appropriate levels of sustainable take as determined by Canadian wildlife experts,” said SCI President Kevin Anderson. “These already harvested bears now provide no conservation value as they sit in cold-storage in Canada.”

Importation of these trophies under H.R. 991, will generate up to $45,000 in additional permit fees (under MMPA Section 104(c)(5)(B)) to use for conservation and research activities for the U.S. and Russian polar bear populations. Although these important conservation benefits are lost by preventing these imports, the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service has determined that the law prevents it from issuing these once-routine import permits.

“I’d like to thank Congressman Don Young for reintroducing this bill on behalf of the sportsmen community. We appreciate his continued commitment to this important issue,” concluded Anderson.

Safari Club International, along with 23 other hunting and wildlife conservation organizations, have already sent a letter to Chairman Doc Hastings and Ranking Member Edward Markey of the House Committee on Natural Resources communicating our strong support of H.R. 991.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service supports allowing imports for those hunters who both hunted and submitted a permit application prior to the listing on May 15, 2008. International Fund for Animal Welfare testified in opposition to H.R. 991. The FWS’s refusal to fully support HR 991 and IAFW’s complete opposition to this legislation undercuts the sustainable funding of polar bear research that U.S. hunters have provided for over 10 years.

Learn more about protecting hunting at www.hunterdefensefund.org.

About the Hunters’ Defense Fund:
Safari Club International Hunters’ Defense Fund supports the important advocacy, conservation and legal work keeping hunters afield and promoting hunting worldwide. Donations to the Hunters’ Defense Fund have a direct impact on our freedom to hunt, wildlife conservation policy and important legislative, regulatory and legal issues. DONATE NOW: www.hunterdefensefund.org

Becoming an SCI Member:
Joining Safari Club International is the best way to be an advocate for continuing our hunting heritage and supporting worldwide sustainable use conservation, wildlife education and humanitarian services. JOIN NOW: www.safariclub.org/Join.

Safari Club International – First For Hunters is the leader in protecting the freedom to hunt and in promoting wildlife conservation worldwide. SCI’s approximately 200 Chapters represent all 50 of the United States as well as 106 other countries. SCI’s proactive leadership in a host of cooperative wildlife conservation, outdoor education and humanitarian programs, with the SCI Foundation and other conservation groups, research institutions and government agencies, empowers sportsmen to be contributing community members and participants in sound wildlife management and conservation. Visit the home page www.safariclub.org or call (520) 620-1220 for more information.

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