What Laws Are Intact To Protect Endangered Species?

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What laws are intact to protect endangered species? Should they be stricter? There are currently 25,109 species that are at risk of being endangered. Currently, there are 16,306 endangered species. How do we protect these species? Well, we already started to develop laws to protect these species in 1973 when President Nixon signed the Endangered Species Act. This act prevents the harassing, harming, pursing, hunting, wounding, shooting, killing, trapping, or capturing of these species. The consequences are different depending on the severity of the offense and if the person does this act knowingly. However, some believe that the act is not strict enough.

Why do these people believe that the penalties are not enough? Well, first what are the basic penalties for violating the ESA? Offenders could be charged up to 50,000 dollars and/or 1 year of imprisonment. If the species is threatened fines up to 12,000 may be charged. However, this fine and imprisonment are not enough. We the human race have 1 chance to preserve these species. Once they are extinct they are never going to come back. Some people believe that these species are walking ATM machines that are always going to constantly regenerate they are wrong. All that it takes is one plant or animal to be killed and the race could disappear. We humans also rely on these animals or …show more content…

Wildlife in the surrounding area will also be affected. If one species relied on the extinct species for food then that species might also go extinct. Then another species might rely on that species. It is like a giant Jenga tower and the blocks are the plants and animals. If you take one block out of the grand scheme of things the tower may survive. However, if you pick the wrong species or take to many the whole tower collapses. Also, remember that we the human race is also considered as a species and we could be one of the blocks that come tumbling

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