US to lock horns over tigers, whale trade - AFP

Source: Agence France-Presse

US to lock horns over tigers, whale trade

Thu May 3, 3:50 PM ET

WASHINGTON (AFP) - US delegates plan to lock horns with China and Japan
over protecting tigers and whales, while lobbying to remove bobcats from
endangered lists next month, witnesses told Congress Thursday.

"China is seriously considering lifting its domestic ban on trade in tiger parts,"
said Todd Willins, who will head the US delegation to the meeting of the
Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species, to be held in The
Hague June 3-15.

-snip-

The United States also plans to take a hard line on harvest of African elephant
tusks and on Japan's proposal that CITES encourage a foreshortening of
International Whaling Commission management, he said.

Another US concern is removal of the bobcat from the CITES protection lists,
arguing that time and money spent complying with CITES could be better used
to help species that need it.

-snip-

Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20070503/sc_afp/unciteswildlife_070503195013

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In trying to de-list the bobcat, the Bush administration (once again)
takes a very narrow view on what species need protection.

seriously endangered tiger and the soon to be seriously endangered elephant and whale populations. The people in charge of our government have to be the most incompetent and narrowly focused bunch of losers ever to reside in the confines of the USA. If W advertised on the front page of the NYT for "persons of limited enough ability to be understood by me, the decider," he could scarcely compete with the pea brains he has already assembled.