In a controversial move, the Trump administration has allowed new legislation that will allow the killing of bear and wolf cubs, as well as coyote and osprey young, in their dens. Such methods were banned on federal grounds in 2015 but the new rules brought in by the The National Park Service and the US Fish and Wildlife Service will make the practices legal again.
The rules will cover the whole of Alaska, which is the United State's most popular region for hunting and fishing due to the vast array of wildlife and wild open uninhabited terrain. Not only does the legislation allow for the killing of young in their dens, it also allows for the baiting of bears with human food, the use of dogs to hunt bears and in a truly bizarre move, to hunt wild Caribou from motorboats.
As the federal legislation is now overruled, it allows individual states to decide on their hunting practices, meaning as of the 9th of July, other states can implement other such rules, like Alaska, if they so choose.
Ben Williamson, the program director at World Animal Protection US, expressed his outrage, saying in a petition:
"Allowing the killing of bear cubs and wolf pups in their dens is barbaric and inhumane. It takes no skill or cunning to lure bears with donuts and shoot caribou from motorboats. The killing of animals for enjoyment or sport not only causes mass suffering to wildlife, but it threatens whole ecosystems and wildlife habitats."
"Around the world, places once famous for hunting are finding greater value in preserving their wildlife for viewing rather than killing. There's more to environmental protection than leaving enough animals for the next generation to shoot and kill. Together, we need to commit to ending the use of wild animals for entertainment."
However, Trump allies including, Alaska Governor Michael J. Dunleavy, stated that it was a return to an Alaskan way of life and that it was correct to give states back their independent rights, he said:
"It confirms the sovereign authorities the state has with respect to managing wildlife on our national preserve lands. This is a step towards acknowledging Alaska's rightful control over fish and wildlife resources all across the state."
The move is likely to inflame anger at the president who has done little to protect the environment and wildlife during his tenure in office. It will also be interesting to see if his opponent in the upcoming US election, Joe Biden, speaks out against the practice and supports the return of the legislation that came into place while he was vice-president under President Obama.
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