Critters and Spectacles

great ape conservation act

Tomorrow, the House Resources Subcommittee on Fisheries and Oceans will hold a hearing on the reauthorization of the Great Ape Conservation Act. Several of my colleagues will be testifying and I'm looking forward to hearing some great support for the act. When it was initiatlly passed in 2000, the act included an annual authorization of $5 million. However, in appropriations, the GACA never got more than $1.25 million or so. The funds that have been granted in years past were actually managed well and have led to some good results for apes in Africa, including protection of the Goualougo Triangle. But we need a lot more money to make a decent impact. Keep your fingers crossed for the chimps, and gorillas and bonobos (and orangs), won't you?

Some testimony is already posted:
Marshall Jones, US FWS Deputy Director, who specifically discusses bushmeat and the importance of addressing it.