Target: Martha Williams, Principal Deputy Director of United States Fish and Wildlife Service
Goal: Demand that harsher penalties be enacted for the illegal poaching of wildlife.
Each year, hundreds of millions of animals are illegally killed, trapped, or trafficked as part of the global wildlife trade industry. This industry, estimated to be worth billions of dollars, poses serious threats to tens of thousands of species, many– like black rhinos, green turtles, and Amur leopards– of which have been driven to the brink of extinction. Animals that are not senselessly murdered for their skins and organs are stolen from their homelands, and transported in cramped conditions across seas. The animals that survive transit are then forced into tiny cages to serve as tourist attractions at roadside zoos or as pets in unsuitable homes.
Though wildlife trade hotspots like Southern Africa and Indonesia are most commonly associated with poaching, what many people might not realize is that poaching occurs just as prominently in the United States. And, while poaching laws vary by state, the current penalty in the U.S. is typically only a fine between $5,000 and $10,000 and a maximum sentence of up to two years in prison. In some states, it is even still legal to poach some endangered species. The American black bear are often killed for use of their skins, meat, and organs. Poaching these bears is only illegal in 34 of the 50 states, meaning that it is justified by the law to destroy these amazing animals in the name of a few individuals’ monetary gain.
Poaching remains the most immediate threat to thousands of species worldwide. We must make a greater effort to conserve these species and do more to deter poachers from their cruel practices. Sign this petition to encourage lawmakers to enact stricter punishments towards poachers and higher levels of protection for the U.S. nation’s wildlife.
PETITION LETTER:
Dear Director Williams,
The poaching epidemic has long plagued our planet and, over the course of the last few decades, has driven thousands of our world’s species to near extinction. Over a hundred million animals are exploited by the wildlife trade industry each year. Those that are not brutally murdered to be sold as commodities on the Black Market are stolen away from their habitats and traded internationally to be kept in captivity at zoos or as pets.
What many neglect to realize is that poaching is not by any means an event isolated to regions like Africa or Asia– the illegal culling and selling of animals is constantly occurring in America’s own backyard. In fact, America actually has some of the highest poaching activity in the world. Animals like elk, black bears, bighorn sheep, and sharks are slaughtered in mass quantities, so that their horns, hides, and organs may be harvested and sold for profit. Over the years, we have seen an alarming decline in the populations of these animals throughout the U.S.
Currently, laws regarding poaching vary in severity from one state to another. The standard punishment for someone found guilty of the illegal practice is a couple thousand dollars and one to two years maximum in prison. This is not enough. If we want to do more to dissuade poachers from senselessly killing our wildlife and decimating entire species in the process, we must enact harsher penalties in every state. We are asking you, Ms. Williams, to please take a stand against these money-hungry poachers and for the wildlife of this nation.
Sincerely,
[Your Name Here]
Photo Credit: Nom d’util
The only good hunter is a dead one.Hunt the hunters!!
AMEN!
Yeah!!🤬👊🏼👊🏼🦏🦏🦏🦏🦏🦏
Pienso lo mismo Michelle !!!!!
Yes absolutely Michelle – as I just posted, let’s give them free rein to hunt each other…do all the rest of us a favor in the process and the innocent wildlife also.
I agree, string hunters up.
TOTALLY AGREE MICHELLE AND I HAVE ALSO SAID THIS!!!
I am so happy when i hear a hunter is killed by wildlife. Last one i heard was elephant crushed pos hunter. I was elated!!
Ms. Williams
Please take a stand against these money-hungry poachers and for the wildlife of this nation.
Those now called hunters are just plain cowards who use tricks to kill innocent animals .. they are not really the hunters who killed out of necessity to feed their families as was done in the past – but cowardly bloodthirsty wolves!
Thank you!
I agree with you 1000%
… JUST PLAIN “cowardly bloodthirsty wolves!”
Maybe not compare them to “wolves,” though.
Wolves are not nearly as “bloodthirsty “ as the poachers, and are themselves victims of those professional killers.
Agree with John. Wolves are not bad animals and it’s insulting to compare a scumbag human to a beautiful animal that minds it’s own business. Due to Biden administration, wolves are going to extinct in most mountain states.
Actually it was the Trump administration that delisted wolves as an endangered species. However, the Biden administration has failed to right that wrong.
THE THINGS THAT GO ON IN THE UNITED STATES ARE JUST INCREDIBLE!
Dear Director Williams,
I do not understand why there is so much corruption, evil and criminal acts in the United States, which is supposedly the first country in the world, where there should be justice and not so much corruption in power and its leaders.
Dear Director Williams:
Couldn’t it be that the world is coming to an end?
Climate changes, greed, pornography, crimes, hatred, wars, endless plagues…
Stop these inane killing sprees, lest the World ends up devoid of wildlife and exclusively with vile Human Beings!
Stop the killing sprees, and punish offenders to the fullest extent
I just got back from Kenya Africa..& questions galore were asked about hunting & poaching..unfortunately they do still have hunting trips..but we were told that anyone got poaching..they were subject to a 20 yr sentence & a $20 million fine!!..& Qatar Airlines…does NOT bring any trophies home!!
Kudos to Qatar Airlines. But other than that what was your point. The threat of jail and fines has always been there. There are even shoot to kill orders for some rangers but it doesn’t stop it. The buyers and sellers need to be punished.
The upper bunch of poaching racket is organized crime. We need to get the nations to truly cooperate with each other. Difficult because of the enormous $$$ and corruption.
ALL OF YOU INVOLVED IN ANY KIND OF HUNTING ARE SAD PATHETIC EXCUSES FOR HUMAN BEINGS. YOU KNOOW THIS IS WRONG ON EVERY LEVEL, YOU FOOLS. YOU ARE TRULY DISGUSTING AND I KNOW ONE DAY YOU WILL FEEL WHAT IT IS LIKETO BE `HUNTED`. KARMA WILL ALWAYS REPAY YOU WHETHER YOU CHOOSE TO BELIEVE IN IT OR NOT, DOESNT MATTER ONE BIT. YOU REALLY DO REAP WHAT YOU SEW. SHAME ON ALL OF YOU INVOLVED IN THIS CRUEL, EVIL AND WICKED THING. YOU ARE ALL A SADE, PATHETIC, DISGRACEFUL EXCUSES FOR HUMAN BEINGS.
I am BEYOND ANGRY that this murder and cruelty against innocent wildlife continues without any negative consequences whatsoever for the perpetrators. These murderers have been granted FREE LICENSE to kill the while feeding their bloodlust and sick egos!
If they want to hunt and kill so badly, let’s make it a fair scenario and open up arenas for them to HUNT EACH OTHER UNTIL THE DEATH!
Then we’ll see how many of these cowards show up…let’s start with you, Donald Trump Jr. and your scum brother Eric…let’s see you volunteer for rifle practice with all of these other scumbag trophy hunter/poachers who are pointing the guns back at you!
Rid the world of ALL of you low-life vermin once and for all…kill each other off and do the rest of us all a HUGE FAVOR, and the wildlife too.
ALL POACHERS AND TROPHY HUBTERS SHOUKD BE THE ONES SLAUGHTERED EVERY TIME INSTEAD ALL ANIMALS!!! ANIMAL CRUELTY NEEDS TO BE BANNED EVERYWGERE IN THE WORLD IMMEDIATELY!!!!!!
Put them in prison in Africa or any other country where they poach.
Take them to China (yuck!) where the largest demand for endangered and exotic creature parts originates. Tiger bones, Rhino horn, Elephant tusks, Pangolin scales, on and on, required by Traditional Chinese “Medicine”, superstition, and the plain weirdness of those folks. A Chinese prison: Now that’s what a killer deserves.
100%agreed
It almost seems as if the Government wants poaching to continue given the punishment for illegal poaching. This has long been a major problem that does not seem to get much attention to authorities. These killings are senseless. Even more disturbing are the fines and imprisonment time for committing poaching crimes. There is no way that any Poacher would stop killing these animals knowing that the Laws are too weak.
Poachers and Hunters are PURE EVIL!!!~ PUT THEM IN PRISON or better yet get RID OF THE BASTARDS!!~!~!~!~!
Kill the BASTARDS!!~!~!~!
Director Williams is herself a hunter, having trophies in her collection. I don’t understand the thrill of that but it goes on. What people seem too ignorant to understand is Nature is one species depending on another, then another, and on it goes. It’s not just one animal. If you shoot one then you harm many others. Nature is also the strongest force. The nuclear bomb is not a threat to Nature as she is so much more deadly. Between fires, storms, tornados, hurricanes, heat and cold, Nature will ravish us. We deserve it for we have become so selfish. We steal habitat, we have killing contest here in America, we slaughter, trap, snare and any other cruel manner of killing animals. Ranchers want more land to graze on so they have hunters kill wolves, elk, buffalo, bison, and more. Our wild horses are rounded up by helicopter only to be sold to slaughter houses in Canada and Mexico. They are brutally mistreated and taken off the land they have lived on for hundreds of years. 80% of Americans want to have the wild horses remain on their own range. Again, it’s the ranchers, human sprawl, industry wanting the land to build factories or what ever they feel is their immediate cause. I can say we won’t be able to survive the climate crises without our wildlife and animals. Round Up is sold every where but it kills our pollinators, It kills insects, which are needed to feed birds, and bats and it is killing 90% of our bees. Einstein said that once the bees die mankind has only 4 years to live. Are the weeds worth it? Are our lawns worth it? Why not plant flowers, or trees, or bushes which are needed for wildlife? Nature is beautiful. Why can’t we think of nature along with ourselves? Have we no compassion? Is high tech taking the human out of the being? I feel sorry for the younger generation as they are left a world which is dying. Where is their future? There are few birds left to sing and those which are left are now dying of a virus. The people who write in these posts are the only compassionate, caring individuals left. I wish you well and I thank you for being lovely souls. This tired old world is damn lucky to still have humans like you! God bless you for the love you give and the hope you offer in your wish for a better today and tomorrow.
I believe you about Williams so wtf is the point of this petition?! I hope something happens to her!
Hunters in any shape or form are evil and should be banned forever they are scum
Kill the poachers and trophy hunters! Leave the wildlife alone. Nature takes care if wildlife were to become overpopulated. Unfortunately, this does not work the same for the totally out of control human population! Maybe climate change will do the trick?
Poach the poachers, buyers and traffickers of wildlife products.
STOP this horrific ENVIRONMENTAL CRIME!
Poaching and hunting show a total DISRESPECT for the uniqueness and beauty of our planet.
MAX JAIL or DEATH PENALTY for poachers!