U.S. Proposes Protection for 7 Penguin Species

The Bush administration is proposing to list six species of penguin as threatened and a seventh as an endangered species while three other penguin species in need of help are being ignored.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has denied protection for the emperor penguin, star of recent films Happy Feet and March of the Penguins, as well as the northern rockhopper and the macaroni penguin. The Bush administration stated – despite research to the contrary – that there is not enough evidence to list the emperor as threatened because of global warming now or in the future.

From MSNBC:

The penguins live far from the United States, in places like Antarctica, South Africa, Peru, Argentina and New Zealand, so the protections of U.S. endangered species law are limited, officials said. Listing the penguins under the act, however, will raise awareness about the species and could give the United States leverage in international negotiations to protect them from fishing, habitat loss, development and other threats.

Environmentalists praised the Bush administration’s proposal to list fully six penguin species, but criticized its decision not to protect the other three. The emperor penguin is the largest in the world and depends on sea ice for breeding and feeding.

The decision to protect the seven species chosen by the Bush administration is still under public comment, so a final determination will be made by the Obama administration.

One can only guess that the Bush administration is allowing the protection of these penguins because it won’t financially harm the business interests of their buddies. Call me cynical, but the only rhyme or reason to Bush and Co.’s decisions about endangered species this year seems to be based on that and that alone.

It’s great that these penguins are getting much-needed protection, but it’s hard to get excited when Bush is simultaneously impeding protection for so many other species. Is it January 20th yet?

Link [MSNBC]

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