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[Congressional Bills 113th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Res. 374 Agreed to Senate (ATS)]

113th CONGRESS
  2d Session
S. RES. 374

         Designating March 3, 2014, as ``World Wildlife Day''.

_______________________________________________________________________

                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             March 5, 2014

 Mr. Coons (for himself, Mr. Udall of New Mexico, Mrs. Feinstein, Mr. 
    Inhofe, Mr. Whitehouse, Mr. Durbin, Mr. Markey, and Mr. Cardin) 
 submitted the following resolution; which was considered and agreed to

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION

 
         Designating March 3, 2014, as ``World Wildlife Day''.

Whereas wildlife has provided numerous economic, environmental, social, and 
        cultural benefits during the course of human history, and wildlife 
        preservation will secure these gifts for future generations;
Whereas each plant and animal species plays an important role in the stability 
        of diverse ecosystems around the world, and the conservation of this 
        biodiversity is critical to maintain the delicate balance of nature and 
        keep complex ecosystems thriving;
Whereas observation of wild plants and animals in their natural habitat provides 
        individuals with a more enriching world view and a greater appreciation 
        of the wonders of the natural environment;
Whereas tens of millions of individuals in the United States strongly support 
        the conservation of wildlife, both domestically and abroad, and wish to 
        ensure the survival of species in the wild, such as rhinoceroses, 
        tigers, elephants, pangolins, turtles, seahorses, sharks, ginseng, 
        mahogany, and cacti;
Whereas the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild 
        Fauna and Flora (referred to in this preamble as ``CITES'' and also 
        known as the ``Washington Convention'') was signed in Washington, DC, on 
        March 3, 1973;
Whereas 179 countries, including the United States, are now parties to CITES;
Whereas CITES remains one of the most powerful tools in the world for 
        biodiversity conservation by regulating international trade in wild 
        plants and animals, including products and derivatives of wild plants 
        and animals, ensuring the survival of plants and animals in the wild, 
        and providing long-term benefits for the livelihood of local people and 
        the global environment;
Whereas CITES seeks to ensure that international trade in listed species is 
        sustainable, legal, and traceable;
Whereas the trafficking of wildlife, including timber and fish, comprises the 
        fourth largest global illegal trade, after narcotics, counterfeiting of 
        products and currency, and human trafficking, and has become a major 
        transnational organized crime with an estimated worth of approximately 
        $19,000,000,000 annually;
Whereas increased demand in Asia for high-value illegal wildlife products, 
        particularly elephant ivory and rhinoceros horns, has recently triggered 
        substantial and rapid increases in poaching of these species, 
        particularly in Africa;
Whereas trafficking of wildlife is the primary threat to many wildlife species, 
        including elephants, rhinoceroses, and tigers;
Whereas many different kinds of criminals, including some terrorist entities and 
        rogue security personnel, often in collusion with corrupt government 
        officials, are involved in wildlife poaching and the movement of ivory 
        and rhinoceros horns across Africa;
Whereas wildlife poaching presents significant security and stability challenges 
        for military and police forces in African nations that are often 
        threatened by heavily armed poachers and the criminal and extremist 
        allies of such poachers;
Whereas wildlife poaching negatively impacts local communities that rely on 
        natural resources for economic development, including tourism;
Whereas the lack of sufficient penal and financial deterrents hamper the ability 
        of African governments to reduce poaching and trafficking;
Whereas capacity building, including material, training, legal, and diplomatic 
        support, can significantly impact the trajectory of the illegal wildlife 
        trade;
Whereas wildlife provides a multitude of benefits to all nations, and wildlife 
        crime has wide-ranging economic, environmental, and social impacts;
Whereas the number of elephants killed by poachers in Kenya increased by more 
        than 800 percent from 2007 to 2012, from 47 to 387 elephants killed;
Whereas the number of rhinoceroses killed by poachers in South Africa increased 
        by more than 7000 percent between 2007 and 2013, from 13 to 1004 
        rhinoceroses killed;
Whereas the number of forest elephants in the Congo Basin in central Africa 
        declined by approximately two-thirds between 2002 and 2012, placing 
        forest elephants on track for extinction within the next decade;
Whereas as few as 3200 tigers remain in the wild throughout all of Asia;
Whereas approximately 100,000,000 sharks are killed annually, often targeted 
        solely for their fins, and unsustainable trade is the primary cause of 
        serious population decline in several shark species, including scalloped 
        hammerhead sharks, great hammerhead sharks, and oceanic whitetip sharks;
Whereas the United States is developing strong measures to address the criminal, 
        financial, security, and environmental aspects of wildlife trafficking;
Whereas Congress has allocated specific resources to combat wildlife trafficking 
        and address the threats posed by poaching and the illegal wildlife 
        trade;
Whereas in December 2013, the United Nations General Assembly proclaimed March 
        3, the day on which CITES was signed, as World Wildlife Day to celebrate 
        and raise awareness of the wild fauna and flora around the world;
Whereas March 3, 2014, represents the first annual celebration of World Wildlife 
        Day; and
Whereas in 2014, World Wildlife Day commemorations will ``celebrate the many 
        beautiful and varied forms of wild fauna and flora, raise awareness of 
        the multitude of benefits that wildlife provides to people, and raise 
        awareness of the urgent need to step up the fight against wildlife 
        crime, which has wide-ranging economic, environmental, and social 
        impacts'': Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the Senate--
            (1) designates March 3, 2014, as ``World Wildlife Day'';
            (2) supports the goals and ideals of World Wildlife Day, 
        including--
                    (A) raising awareness of the benefits that wildlife 
                provides to people and the threats facing wildlife 
                around the world; and
                    (B) escalating the fight against wildlife crime, 
                including wildlife trafficking;
            (3) applauds the domestic and international efforts to 
        escalate the fight against wildlife crime;
            (4) commends the efforts of the United States to mobilize 
        the entire Government in a coordinated, efficient, and 
        effective manner for dramatic progress in the fight against 
        wildlife crime; and
            (5) encourages continued cooperation between the United 
        States, international partners, local communities, nonprofit 
        organizations, private industry, and other partner 
        organizations in an effort to conserve and celebrate wildlife, 
        preserving this precious resource for future generations.
                                 <all>
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