Obama pledges $10 million in services to curb poaching in Africa

[mike rossi]

Last week, President Obama completed his week-long Africa trip to Senegal, South Africa, and Tanzania, where he promoted an increased partnership amongst African nations and the U.S. He ended his trip in Tanzania where he focused on highlighting the country’s economic potential as well as combating illegal wildlife trade.

Tens of thousands of African elephants (Loxodonta africana spp.) are slaughtered every year by poachers who seek their tusks for the illegal ivory trade. African rhinoceroses are targeted for their horns, and intense poaching has nearly decimated the black rhino (Diceros bicornis) population. Currently, the market value for rhino horns is $30,000 per pound, and $1,000 per pound for the ivory from elephant tusks (Greenwire). The total global market from illegal wildlife trade is $7 billion to $10 billion a year, and growing. President Obama has pledged to curb the illegal wildlife trade before the African elephant and black rhino go extinct.

Obama’s plan to cut down on illegal trafficking of wildlife parts is an effort to stabilize African governments. He created a $10 million initiative that will train police officers and park rangers in Tanzania, South Africa, Kenya, and other African countries to fight organized gangs involved in poaching. The U.S. Department of State will provide the $10 million in regional and bilateral training, as well as technical assistance. A new executive order announced last week would set up a Presidential Task Force to create a strategy for stopping criminals from poaching and thus cut off the demand for ivory in other countries. In addition, the order would establish an Advisory Council on Wildlife Tracking, consisting of eight non-government individuals to oversee the Task Force.

Sources: Greenwire (July 3, 2013), Mongabay (July 3, 2013), The White House (July 1, 2013), National Geographic (October 2012).

[PWGUNNY]

Is he the President of America or Kenya?  It would be great if only the people that voted for him would have to pay this crap.  Lord knows I'd be exempt.  He also pledged millions to enhance the electrical grid in Africa.

[jjb4900]

is this gonna be funded by the money raised from the recent increase in student loan interest rates that American students are being screwed with?

[ELMER J. FUDD]

Is he the President of America or Kenya? It would be great if only the people that voted for him would have to pay this crap. Lord knows I'd be exempt. He also pledged millions to enhance the electrical grid in Africa.

Wasn't that 7 Billion with a B to help Africans build their power grid.

[WNYBuckHunter]

Yep, this country can afford to send more money to other countries. Unreal.

[Early]

Foreign Aid...It is killing us!! For the life of me, I can not understand why we take our money and give it away...in some cases to countries that hate us.

[Woodjr55]

I heard on the news last week or so that the US is spending a Billion dollars on helicopters and planes for the afghanis and they don't even have enough people to fly and maintain 25% of the aircraft. Oh on top of that the billion dollars is going to a Russian company to produce the aircraft.

[Dinsdale]

Not to be a stickler but its 10 million in services not cash.....

That sounds good as a nice round number, but actual costs are a different number. Your costs are fixed if a military advisor is on the ground in SA or Tanzania or some base in Kansas.....same for a technician thats teaching training a new piece of equiptment.

Part of what is going on is they want to use some drone technology for anti poaching and we are pretty good at that.

What that also does is gives us a strategic physical presence on a continent that the Chinese are buying up and are HUGE in their economic and now starting military presence.

The Chinese and other SE Asian countries also happen to be the single biggest importer in the illegal wildlife traffing world wide. Their new found wealth and freeing internal market has caused an explosion in demand for traditional medicine based in animal parts by folks who have never been able to afford or acquire them.

[Doc]

Man, it is getting downright depressing. There always seems to be enough B.S. to justify almost anything that they do, but the end result has been proven over and over to be a good swift kick in the rear for us. These various countries have learned to play us like a fiddle. They have all learned how to work our system just like our own welfare recipients have been taught to make a lifestyle out of welfare. Welfare is welfare regardless of whether it is foreign or domestic. How much more can we continue to pay before the system dries up and breaks. I believe we have the right politicians in place to find out.

[WNYBuckHunter]

Doc, its already broke, the next step will be collapse.

[mike rossi]

Here is another article published today. By the way, the FWS law agents work along with customs to check things at the airports and e bay ect...

 

By MATTHEW DALY Associated Press

WASHINGTON -- More than 150 people face federal and state charges after authorities disrupted online wildlife trafficking operations involving tiger, leopard and jaguar pelts, elephant ivory and live birds.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced the arrests Thursday after an undercover operation that included officers from 16 states, three federal agencies and three Asian countries.

Items seized under "Operation Wild Web" include the pelts of endangered big cats such as the Sumatran tiger, leopard and jaguar; live migratory birds such as the California scrub jay; whale teeth; elephant and walrus ivory; and a zebra pelt.

"Our message is clear and simple: The Internet is not an open marketplace for protected species," said Edward Grace, deputy assistant director for law enforcement for the Fish and Wildlife Service.

Working with counterparts in California, Texas, New York, Florida and Alaska and other states, federal officials targeted illegal wildlife sellers who operate through Craigslist, eBay and other Internet marketplaces and classified ads. Wildlife officers in Singapore, Thailand and Indonesia ran similar operations at the same time.

The items were seized last August, although charges are still being brought in many cases. Six Southern California residents were charged Thursday with selling endangered species and animal parts, the U.S. Attorney's Office in Los Angeles said.

"As a major platform for the illicit trade in wildlife, the Internet has become a dangerous place for animals," said Jeff Flocken, North American regional director for the International Fund for Animal Welfare, an advocacy group that worked with the federal task force.

"Wildlife crimes are not only harmful to endangered species, they also pose serious threats to national and global security," Flocken said.

Illegal wildlife trade generates an estimated $19 billion a year worldwide and ranks fourth on the list of the most lucrative global illegal activities behind narcotics, counterfeiting and human trafficking, the animal welfare group said in a report last year.

Federal laws regulating the sale of wildlife include the Endangered Species Act, Migratory Bird Treaty Act, Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act; the Marine Mammal Protection Act and the Lacey Act, which prohibits trade in wildlife, fish and plants that have been illegally taken, transported or sold.

Other states involved in "Operation Wild Web" were Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, Nebraska, Kansas, Oklahoma, North Dakota, South Dakota, Washington, Oregon, New Jersey and Rhode Island.

Read more here: http://www.miamiherald.com/2013/07/11/3495775/feds-charge-150-accused-in-online.html#storylink=cpy

 

 

 

 

 

Edited July 12, 2013 by mike rossi

[mike rossi]

Not to be a stickler but its 10 million in services not cash.....

That sounds good as a nice round number, but actual costs are a different number. Your costs are fixed if a military advisor is on the ground in SA or Tanzania or some base in Kansas.....same for a technician thats teaching training a new piece of equiptment.

Part of what is going on is they want to use some drone technology for anti poaching and we are pretty good at that.

What that also does is gives us a strategic physical presence on a continent that the Chinese are buying up and are HUGE in their economic and now starting military presence.

The Chinese and other SE Asian countries also happen to be the single biggest importer in the illegal wildlife traffing world wide. Their new found wealth and freeing internal market has caused an explosion in demand for traditional medicine based in animal parts by folks who have never been able to afford or acquire them.

Although I see everyone's point and expected the response, I wanted to illustrate that the federal, state, and tribal goverments have resources, and the will to use those resources, whether cash or services, for conservation. We got an in-crowd here in NY that have played with that money. Not only is that an issue, but most sportsman are just plain unaware of what all is available, what it is for, and the benefits that can be derived. We have been screwed a long time with this and I don't see many getting the message - yet. In time sportsmen will become informed, it may take a generation to cycle the leadership where the young replace the old. Many , as in this thread, are outraged with tax dollars being used for  foreign aid, but when I raised the issue of dedicated trust accounts being diverted away from conservation, few people seemed to take particular interest. I don't see a fundamental difference to using tax dollars for foreign aid and taking conservation dollars and using them for non related uses and/or investing them to subsidize state agencies other than the DEC.

[Dinsdale]

Although I see everyone's point and expected the response, I wanted to illustrate that the federal, state, and tribal goverments have resources, and the will to use those resources, whether cash or services, for conservation. We got an in-crowd here in NY that have played with that money. Not only is that an issue, but most sportsman are just plain unaware of what all is available, what it is for, and the benefits that can be derived. We have been screwed a long time with this and I don't see many getting the message - yet. In time sportsmen will become informed, it may take a generation to cycle the leadership where the young replace the old. Many , as in this thread, are outraged with tax dollars being used for  foreign aid, but when I raised the issue of dedicated trust accounts being diverted away from conservation, few people seemed to take particular interest. I don't see a fundamental difference to using tax dollars for foreign aid and taking conservation dollars and using them for non related uses and/or investing them to subsidize state agencies other than the DEC.

 

 

First I'd say I agree in that conservation fund monies are a tempting target for politicians to see those $$$$ for general use and that should not be happening. I disagree with the state training new DEC recruits using those funds, that is not the purpose.

 

Why?

 

Because the DEC is not a fish and game department, although thats the common interaction for folks on a board like this especially. Their duties include tasks that benefit all NY'ers and all should pay.....not just on the back of sportsmen. For example we all have a vested interest in clean water; not just for the fish in them.

 

I do disagree on the difference with forgien aid and taking conservation dollars in your last sentence for the same reason.

 

Foreign aid comes from a pooled resource that can be a good benefit in a larger context, both politically and financially. Just as all NY residents have a interest in clean water; we now live in a global economy and in that larger arena we play a roll. Our state wants to raid a dedicated fund set up for one purpose, foriegn aid doesn't come from a specific revenue generator.

 

I do think we often spend those aid funds poorly and without a good long term continuum because of our political system, and that is unfortunate. But isolationism will not be the great savior to our woes, but we are playing from behind often in the global marketplace and that will take investment to change,

[WingNut]

F'n Jerk Off

[mike rossi]

First I'd say I agree in that conservation fund monies are a tempting target for politicians to see those $$$$ for general use and that should not be happening. I disagree with the state training new DEC recruits using those funds, that is not the purpose.

 

Why?

 

Because the DEC is not a fish and game department, although thats the common interaction for folks on a board like this especially. Their duties include tasks that benefit all NY'ers and all should pay.....not just on the back of sportsmen. For example we all have a vested interest in clean water; not just for the fish in them.

 

I do disagree on the difference with forgien aid and taking conservation dollars in your last sentence for the same reason.

 

Foreign aid comes from a pooled resource that can be a good benefit in a larger context, both politically and financially. Just as all NY resideput into then nts have a interest in clean water; we now live in a global economy and in that larger arena we play a roll. Our state wants to raid a dedicated fund set up for one purpose, foriegn aid doesn't come from a specific revenue generator.

 

I do think we often spend those aid funds poorly and without a good long term continuum because of our political system, and that is unfortunate. But isolationism will not be the great savior to our woes, but we are playing from behind often in the global marketplace and that will take investment to change,

I don't know much about economics but I appreciate what you are saying here. I got a couple things to run by you about what you said. There is a stipulation that does allow federal conservation funds to be used for salaries in certain conditions. I also believe I remember that the state conservation fund actually does pay for DEC salaries. A couple years ago I said otherwise, but I was wrong, the CF and in many cases federal grants, are used for salaries. To the surprise of many, there is still enough left over for other projects...

 

The raiding of trust accounts is well-known - there are specific laws addressing it and lawmakers even got their own term for it, and call it "sweeping". The FWS calls it "diverting". But there is something occurring more surreptitiously than sweeping a dedicated trust account. A new sub account has been formed in which the revenues from life time sporting licenses are staged until they are put into the states short term investment pool. To make a long story short, the stip is basically a fund in which any state agency can "borrow" from. After one year, a  miniscule percentage of that account revenue might be returned for conservation use. I say might because that small portion would only revert if it met a minimum yield. Im a little fuzzy on this right now, but I did write about it and have a power point on it on you tube if your interested.

[Dinsdale]

I don't know much about economics but I appreciate what you are saying here. I got a couple things to run by you about what you said. There is a stipulation that does allow federal conservation funds to be used for salaries in certain conditions. I also believe I remember that the state conservation fund actually does pay for DEC salaries. A couple years ago I said otherwise, but I was wrong, the CF and in many cases federal grants, are used for salaries. To the surprise of many, there is still enough left over for other projects...

 

I did write about it and have a power point on it on you tube if your interested.

 

 

I guess in the end its like a bunch of stuff its not as clean cut, black and white, as one would hope;.......

 

Set aside $$$ for enviromental conservation stuff>>>>>spend it on conservation stuff. ;<)

 

What a dysfunctional mess we have become in this country.

 

 

From my understanding the use of the NY conservation fund has been on and off used for officer training/salaries....but not consistent.

 

 

Post up the you-tube link;<)

Edited July 14, 2013 by Dinsdale

[mike rossi]

Dinsdale, here are the links:

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CWWFrHn63eA&feature=share&list=PLZul7fQbJpyJ0sfTSssUdDilpWEN30Sww

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0aWP8ZzgetQ&feature=share&list=PLZul7fQbJpyJ0sfTSssUdDilpWEN30Sww

 

 

 

 

[Dinsdale]

Thanks Mike

[Geno C]

borrowed money leaves the country...

 

with a dept like this

 

$16,787,451,118,147

 

and we are sending MORE money out of the US???

honestly, who gives a crap about whats going on in Africa when we are in the shape we are in here. CHARITY STARTS AT HOME!!