WASHINGTON (April 16, 2001) -- Today, several animal protection
organizations, conservation groups, and scientists filed a
lawsuit challenging the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's (FWS)
granting of import permits for imperiled argali sheep killed by
trophy hunters, and its failure to issue a timely final rule
listing the argali as an endangered species throughout its
range in Asia. The plaintiffs include The Fund for Animals,
Animal Legal Defense Fund, The Humane Society of the United
States, Earth Island Institute, Argali Wildlife Research Center
in Mongolia, former FWS scientist Ron Nowak, and Mongolian
scientists Sukh Amgalanbaatar and Zundui Namshir.
The argali sheep is the largest species of wild sheep in the
world, weighing 210-310 pounds, with massive spiral horns up to
75 inches long and 20 inches in circumference. The species has
experienced a significant decline in habitat and range, due to
factors including domestic livestock using habitat that was
formerly used by the argali. Among the threats that the argali
face is hunting by foreign trophy hunters, including U.S.
citizens, who take dead argali trophies back with them to their
home countries. Hunters are not permitted to bring these
trophies into the U.S. without import permits issued by the
FWS. The lawsuit alleges that the permits are being issued
illegally in violation of the Endangered Species Act and other
rules specific to the argali.
In 1976, in response to a petition filed by The Fund for
Animals, the FWS listed a subspecies of the argali sheep, but
not the entire species, as endangered. In 1992, however, given
the continuing decline of the species, the FWS listed the
entire species as endangered throughout most of its range, but
only as threatened in the countries of Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia,
and Tajikistan, issuing a special rule setting forth stringent
conditions that would have to be met before import of argali
trophies from those countries would be allowed. In 1993, the
FWS proposed changing the listing from threatened to endangered
because of increased concern for the survival of the species.
Many years later, the proposed rule is still outstanding.
Remarkably, despite the prohibition on importation, in the past
five years the FWS has granted more than 550 permits for the
importation of Argali trophies into the U.S., and more than 100
issued permits are still valid.
According to Michael Markarian, executive vice president of
The Fund for Animals, "It is unconscionable that hundreds of
animals in this imperiled species have been killed simply so
wealthy American trophy hunters can add more heads to their
collections. The Fish and Wildlife Service has acted illegally
and irresponsibly by granting hundreds of import permits, by
not soliciting or considering public comment, and by leaving
this proposed rule in limbo while the argali population
continues to decline."
Added Wayne Pacelle, senior vice president of The Humane
Society of the United States, "The Fish and Wildlife Service is
not protecting argali sheep from wealthy trophy hunters, even
though the agency all but recognizes that the species is
endangered with extinction. Because trophy hunters have almost
an obsessive fascination with killing these majestic animals,
argali sheep are at acute risk and must be fully
protected."
A copy of the 22-page lawsuit filed today is available by
calling 301-585-2591 ext. 216.
