AUG, 2012 "In The Crosshairs"

 

August 17, 2012

  SCI Foundation Augments Support For AWCF At Embassy Reception: August 13, 2012 – The Embassy of Botswana hosted Safari Club International Foundation (SCI Foundation) and the International Conservation Caucus Foundation (ICCF) for a reception of international Ambassadors and conservationists. The event highlighted the importance of the upcoming African Wildlife Consultative Forum (AWCF) to be hosted in Botswana September 16^th through 21^st, 2012.  AWCF brings together the most influential countries in sub-Saharan Africa for a week-long forum discussing wide ranging wildlife management, conservation, and sustainable-use priorities. AWCF provides the only annual opportunity for each country to compare common approaches to the future management of their wildlife resources. To read the full article, and see pictures from the SCI Foundation/ICCF reception go to http://wp.me/p2AKuX-20

  SCI Files Brief in Polar Bear Case:  On August 17, SCI filed its opening brief in support of its appeal in the polar bear import case.  A U.S. district court ruled that the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service properly banned the import of polar bears from approved populations in Canada after the Service listed the polar bear as threatened under the ESA.  Among other things, SCI argued that a provision in the Marine Mammal Protection Act specifically mandates the allowance of permits from approved populations in Canada.  The briefing in the case will end in early 2013, with a hearing likely later in the year. To read more, go to http://wp.me/p2C4PF-1R

  Reversing Decades of Decline, the Number of Hunters and Anglers is on the Rise: “MILWAUKEE, WI – Highlighting the reversal of decades of declining numbers, Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar today announced the results of a comprehensive national survey of outdoor recreation showing a significant increase in hunters and a double-digit increase in anglers over the past five years. ‘Seeing more people fishing, hunting, and getting outdoors is great news for America’s economy and conservation heritage,’ said Salazar. ‘Outdoor recreation and tourism are huge economic engines for local communities and the country, so it is vital that we continue to support policies and investments that help Americans get outside, learn to fish, or go hunting.” (Source: Dept. of Interior) for the full article and the statistics of the survey, go to http://on.doi.gov/QG8UKS

  South Africa Goes Big On Birth Control For Elephants: “(Reuters) - A South African province home to thousands of elephants is planning a birth control campaign for the pachyderms to prevent a population explosion that could threaten plants and wildlife. Unlike other parts of Africa where elephant stocks have dwindled to dangerously low levels due to poaching and a loss of habitat, South Africa has seen its populations steadily grow through conservation, with the country pressed for room to house the massive animals with hefty diets. KwaZulu-Natal province, in the southeast, is looking to expand a project running for more than a decade where elephants populations have been controlled by injecting cows with a vaccine that triggers an immune system response to block sperm reception.” (Source: Reuters) To read more, go to http://reut.rs/OBv1qM

  Poachers Take A New Approach: Tanzania — “FOUR suspected notorious elephant poachers have been arrested in the Northern Highlands forest which strides the Mbulu-Mbulu ward of Karatu District and the Ngorongoro Conservation Area Authority (NCAA).The NCAA Manager of Conservation Services, Mr Amiyo Amiyo said on Tuesday that the suspected poachers have not been using regular methods to kill the elephants. In the place of firearms, the poachers have devised an unorthodox technique to ensnare and kill the elephants by using pumpkins spiked with highly poisonous chemicals. ” (Source: AllAfrica.com) To read more, go to http://bit.ly/P0ZlH6

  Feds Eye New Limits On Alaska Hunting Guides:  “FAIRBANKS — Following in the footsteps of its federal brethren, the Bureau of Land Management is proposing to limit the number of hunting guides on BLM land in Alaska. The BLM is conducting a ‘hunting guide capacity study’ and asking for public input on where problems may be occurring, according to Bill Overbaugh, an outdoor recreation planner for BLM in Anchorage. “We want to find out where the hot spots are and where we’re having problems,’ Overbaugh said. ‘We’ve had feedback that there has been overcrowding problems and other types of user conflicts with guides. There’s competition among guides and transporters who are dropping off hunters where the caribou are or where the moose are,’ he said. ‘There are camps being set up too close together.’ The BLM manages approximately 75 million of Alaska’s roughly 325 million acres and is the only federal landowner in Alaska that doesn’t currently limit guides on its land. ” (Source: Fairbanks Newsminer.com) To read more, go to http://bit.ly/RWX5Ed

  Gun Sales On The Rise: “Local gun sales are going up, retailers say, as data show background checks for pistol permits are up nationwide. Brothers John and Frank Havlick, whose family has run Frank's Guns and Tackle Shop in Mayfield for 29 years, say business over the past four years has been strong. Since 2009, John Havlick said he's seen an increase in firearm sales and applications for pistol permits. He said he has almost 100 pistols waiting in the back room of his store for people to pick up once they earn their pistol permit. ‘We've seen a 40 percent increase,’ Havlick said, ‘if not more. You can definitely see the increase.’ James McCarthy, owner of Jim McCarthy Guns in Amsterdam, said he's also seen a lot more people buying firearms and ammo. Data indicate background checks for pistol permits are up around the nation.” (Source: The Leader-Herald) to read more, go to http://bit.ly/NJFXxx