Purpose: Amends the Lacey Act Amendments of 1981 to extend the protections of that law to bears that are illegally killed for the trade in bear gallbladders.
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Status: Referred to House Committee on Natural Resources. Referred to the Subcommittee on Fisheries, Wildlife, and Oceans, where hearings were held.
Action: SUPPORT. Please contact your U.S. Representative and urge him or her to support H.R. 5534. Tell your Representative that North American black bears are under increased threat from poachers, smugglers and dealers who exploit these magnificent creatures to supply the lucrative trade in bear parts and products.
Talking Points for your letter:
- Bear gallbladders and bile are used in traditional Chinese medicine to treat maladies ranging from delirium to hemorrhoids and now are also used in cosmetics such as shampoo.
- As Asiatic black bear populations have been decimated for the bear parts trade, unscrupulous profiteers have set their sights on America’s bear population. Federal legislation is sorely needed to create a uniform legal framework protecting American bears from this threat.
- H.R. 5534 will help maintain a healthy American bear population and will send a message to poachers, smugglers and consumers the world over that the U.S. will not tolerate an attack on our bears and will not participate in this horrible black market trade. Although we cannot restore the numbers we once had, we can ensure that the remaining bears are not sold for profit to the highest bidder.