Rhino and Tiger Conservation Hearing
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RHINO AND TIGER CONSERVATION HEARING BEFORE THE SUBCOMMITTEE ON FISHERIES CONSERVATION, WILDLIFE AND OCEANS OF THE COMMITTEE ON RESOURCES HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES ONE HUNDRED FIFTH CONGRESS SECOND SESSION ON H.R. 2807 TO AMEND THE RHINOCEROS AND TIGER CONSERVA- TION ACT OF 1994 TO PROHIBIT THE SALE, IMPOR- TATION, AND EXPORTATION OF PRODUCTS LA- BELED AS CONTAINING SUBSTANCES DERIVED FROM RHINOCEROS OR TIGER H.R. 3113 TO REAUTHORIZE THE RHINOCEROS AND TIGER CONSERVATION ACT OF 1994 FEBRUARY 5, 1998, WASHINGTON, DC Serial No. 105±69 Printed for the use of the Committee on Resources ( U.S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE 46±818 CC u WASHINGTON : 1998 COMMITTEE ON RESOURCES DON YOUNG, Alaska, Chairman W.J. (BILLY) TAUZIN, Louisiana GEORGE MILLER, California JAMES V. HANSEN, Utah EDWARD J. MARKEY, Massachusetts JIM SAXTON, New Jersey NICK J. RAHALL II, West Virginia ELTON GALLEGLY, California BRUCE F. VENTO, Minnesota JOHN J. DUNCAN, JR., Tennessee DALE E. KILDEE, Michigan JOEL HEFLEY, Colorado PETER A. DEFAZIO, Oregon JOHN T. DOOLITTLE, California ENI F.H. FALEOMAVAEGA, American WAYNE T. GILCHREST, Maryland Samoa KEN CALVERT, California NEIL ABERCROMBIE, Hawaii RICHARD W. POMBO, California SOLOMON P. ORTIZ, Texas BARBARA CUBIN, Wyoming OWEN B. PICKETT, Virginia HELEN CHENOWETH, Idaho FRANK PALLONE, JR., New Jersey LINDA SMITH, Washington CALVIN M. DOOLEY, California GEORGE P. RADANOVICH, California CARLOS A. ROMERO-BARCELOÂ , Puerto WALTER B. JONES, JR., North Carolina Rico WILLIAM M. (MAC) THORNBERRY, Texas MAURICE D. HINCHEY, New York JOHN SHADEGG, Arizona ROBERT A. UNDERWOOD, Guam JOHN E. ENSIGN, Nevada SAM FARR, California ROBERT F. SMITH, Oregon PATRICK J. KENNEDY, Rhode Island CHRIS CANNON, Utah ADAM SMITH, Washington KEVIN BRADY, Texas WILLIAM D. DELAHUNT, Massachusetts JOHN PETERSON, Pennsylvania CHRIS JOHN, Louisiana RICK HILL, Montana DONNA CHRISTIAN-GREEN, Virgin Islands BOB SCHAFFER, Colorado RON KIND, Wisconsin JIM GIBBONS, Nevada LLOYD DOGGETT, Texas MICHAEL D. CRAPO, Idaho LLOYD A. JONES, Chief of Staff ELIZABETH MEGGINSON, Chief Counsel CHRISTINE KENNEDY, Chief Clerk/Administrator JOHN LAWRENCE, Democratic Staff Director SUBCOMMITTEE ON FISHERIES CONSERVATION, WILDLIFE AND OCEANS JIM SAXTON, New Jersey, Chairman W.J. (BILLY) TAUZIN, Louisiana NEIL ABERCROMBIE, Hawaii WAYNE T. GILCHREST, Maryland SOLOMON P. ORTIZ, Texas WALTER B. JONES, JR., North Carolina FRANK PALLONE, JR., New Jersey JOHN PETERSON, Pennsylvania SAM FARR, California MICHAEL D. CRAPO, Idaho PATRICK J. KENNEDY, Rhode Island HARRY BURROUGHS, Staff Director JOHN RAYFIELD, Legislative Staff KAREN STEUR, Democratic Legislative Staff (II) C O N T E N T S Page Hearing held February 5, 1998 .............................................................................. 1 Statement of Members: Farr, Hon. Sam, a Representative in Congress from the State of Cali- fornia .............................................................................................................. 15 Miller, Hon. George, a Representative in Congress from the State of California ....................................................................................................... 2 Prepared statement of ............................................................................... 3 Saxton, Hon. Jim, a Representative in Congress from the State of New Jersey ............................................................................................................. 1 Prepared statement of ............................................................................... 2 Statement of Witnesses: Babbitt, Hon. Bruce, Secretary, Department of the Interior, accompanied by Brooks Yeager, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Policy and Inter- national Affairs, Department of the Interior, and Marshall P. Jones, Assistant Director for International Affairs, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service ............................................................................................................ 3 Prepared statement of ............................................................................... 35 Bolze, Dorene, Senior Policy Analyst, Wildlife Conservation Society .......... 17 Prepared statement of ............................................................................... 137 Foose, Thomas J., Program Director, International Rhino Foundation ....... 22 Prepared statement of ............................................................................... 202 Fuller, Kathryn, President, World Wildlife Fund, accompanied by Ginette Hemley, Director of International Wildlife Policy, World Wildlife Fund . 8 Prepared statement of ............................................................................... 64 Lao, Dr. Lixing, Assistant Professor, Family Medicine, University of Maryland ....................................................................................................... 9 Prepared statement of ............................................................................... 28 Maple, Dr. Terry, President and Chief Executive Officer, Zoo Atlanta ....... 6 Prepared statement of ............................................................................... 42 Parsons, Richard M., Director, Department of Wildlife Conservation and Governmental Affairs, Safari Club International ...................................... 21 Prepared statement of ............................................................................... 196 Seidensticker, John, Curator of Mammals, National Zoological Park ......... 19 Prepared statement of ............................................................................... 185 Additional material supplied: Environmental Investigation Agency, prepared statement of ...................... 215 Text of H.R. 2807 .............................................................................................. 30 Text of H.R. 3113 .............................................................................................. 33 (III) HEARING ON H.R. 2807, TO AMEND THE RHI- NOCEROS AND TIGER CONSERVATION ACT OF 1994 TO PROHIBIT THE SALE, IMPORTA- TION, AND EXPORTATION OF PRODUCTS LABELED AS CONTAINING SUBSTANCES DE- RIVED FROM RHINOCEROS OR TIGER AND H.R. 3113, TO REAUTHORIZE THE RHINOC- EROS AND TIGER CONSERVATION ACT OF 1994 THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 1998 HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, SUBCOMMITTEE ON FISH- ERIES CONSERVATION, WILDLIFE AND OCEANS, COM- MITTEE ON RESOURCES, Washington, DC. The Subcommittee met, pursuant to notice, at 10:03 a.m., in room 1334, Longworth House Office Building, the Hon. Jim Saxton (chairman of the Subcommittee) presiding. Mr. SAXTON. Good morning. The Subcommittee on Fisheries Con- servation, Wildlife and Oceans will come to order. Good morning. I would like to, once again, welcome everyone here. STATEMENT OF HON. JIM SAXTON, A REPRESENTATIVE IN CONGRESS FROM THE STATE OF NEW JERSEY Mr. SAXTON. As you know, today we will discuss two important wildlife conservation bills, H.R. 2807 and H.R. 3113. [The bills may be found at end of hearing.] Mr. SAXTON. The first bill, which I introduced, H.R. 2807, will ensure that no person may import any product labeled or con- taining any species of rhinoceros or tiger into or export such prod- uct from the United States. Unfortunately, despite the fact that these species have been list- ed as endangered for over 20 years, there are pharmacies well lo- cated in America that have products on their shelves indicating they contain rhino and tiger parts. While some of the products are confiscated prior to importation, it is virtually impossible to prove that the ingredients in the medi- cine originated from a rhinoceros or tiger. The Rhino and Tiger Product Labeling Act will solve that problem. If the label on the product says that it contains rhinoceros or tiger parts, then this legislation will prevent it from coming into the United States by making the legal presumption, without any further tests or anal- ysis, that it violates our trade laws. (1) 2 In short, if a medication says it contains components of rhinos or tigers, then we accept the manufacturer's assertion and stop its sale. The second bill, H.R. 3113, was introduced by the distinguished Chairman of the Resources Committee, the Honorable Don Young, to extend the Rhinoceros and Tiger Conservation Act fund until September 30th, 2004. I strongly support this bill and believe the grants made from this fund are making a positive difference in the international fight to save rhinos and tigers. [The prepared statement of Mr. Saxton follows:] STATEMENT OF HON. JIM SAXTON, A REPRESENTATIVE IN CONGRESS FROM THE STATE OF NEW JERSEY Good morning, Ladies and Gentlemen. I would like to welcome everyone to our Subcommittee's first hearing in the Second Session of the 105th Congress. Last year, our Subcommittee was extremely productive and successful in moving a number of legislative proposals forward. We held 25 days of hearings, 7 markup sessions, 12 of our bills passed the House of Representatives, and 6 were enacted into law. I am particularly pleased that the President signed into law measures cre- ating the Asian Elephant Conservation Fund, extending the Atlantic Striped Bass Act, protecting valuable herring and mackerel stocks off the coast of New Jersey, and establishing for the first time an organic act for our Nation's Wildlife Refuge System. I am confident we will build on that record this year. Today we will hear testimony on legislation to help save two highly endangered keystone species, the rhinoceros and the tiger. Unless immediate steps are