Should Legislative Acts have Strict Punishments for Poaching Endangered Species?

In the recent years, the concern of protecting endangered species has become a largely talked about issue. The problem continues to grow to a point of uncertain damage. Questions such as will we ever recover? What can we do to get people to be more aware of the ramifications of poaching and killing endangered species. When major species of such as honey bees and the gray wolf disappear? Is there anything we can do to fix any of the damage?

In the U.S. in 1973, president Richard M. Nixon presented and passed The Endangered Species Act to protect endangered species. This act was in response to further expressed concern that many of our nation's native plants and animals were in danger of becoming extinct. The purpose of the ESA is to protect and recover imperiled species and the ecosystems upon which they depend. It is administered by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) and the Commerce Department's National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS). The Service has primary responsibility for terrestrial and freshwater organisms, while the responsibilities of NMFS are mainly marine wildlife such as whales and anadromous fish such as salmon(https://www.endangered.org/campaigns/protecting-the-endangered-species-act/.). This act actively protects animals and species that are declared endangered so they are nationally recognized as such. Laws, regulations and fines owed in the U.S. put into place to keep the species protected.

However outside of the U.S. in other areas of South Africa and Asia who are economically disadvantaged, so they resort to things such as poaching and skins for quick money. The ban on international trade in ivory introduced by the international community in 1989 was intended to protect the declining stock of African elephant (Loxodonta africana), by providing a barrier between the range state and the principal consuming nations. If there is a residual trade, then the efficiency of the ban is determined by the decline in the price paid to poachers, and the responsiveness of poaching effort to changing prices(Burton).

Though there are actions being taken internationally to protect endangered animals like the African Elephant, grey wolf, and honey bees etc. such as the ban on international trade and the endangered species act which are vital pieces of the biological web. But there still are problems with hunting illegally which can diminishes the progress already made to protect endangered species. While this may be true there are efforts from people such as Private landowners who manage many rare species' habitats, yet research on their responses to species conservation legislation is scarce.

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