The Migratory Bird Protection Act and the Albatross and Petrel Conservation Act would build upon existing efforts
Two U.S. representatives introduced two bills that would help conserve birds in honor of Migratory Bird Day on May 10. Representatives Jared Huffman and Brian Fitzpatrick introduced the Migratory Bird Protection Act and the Albatross and Petrel Conservation Act, which would build upon existing efforts to protect migratory birds and the most threatened seabird species. The Migratory Bird Protection Act would provide clarity on how the U.S. implements the Migratory Bird Treaty Act. For example, the act would ensure regulatory certainty around what is considered “incidental take,” or the killing or injuring of birds by otherwise legal activities. The Albatross and Petrel Conservation Act would help implement the International Agreement on the Conservation of Albatrosses and Petrels (ACAP), which helps protect seabirds from international fishing threats. “Now more than ever, Congressional action is needed to conserve our country’s migratory birds,” said Ed Arnett, CEO of The Wildlife Society, in a press release. “Thanks to the leadership of Representative Huffman, the Migratory Bird Protection Act will implement a streamlined permitting approach that provides greater certainty for project stakeholders as well as long-term benefits for migratory bird species. Given that more than three billion birds have been lost in the past half century, we encourage Congress to swiftly pass this commonsense bill.”
Read more about the Migratory bird Protection Act here and the Albatross and Petrel Conservation Act here.
