Trump officials move to dismantle key protection for US endangered species

The US Fish and Wildlife Service has reinterpreted a key part of the 1973 Endangered Species Act (ESA). A September 14 memo, distributed to field offices, redefines what it means to "take" an endangered species. According to The Guardian US, "take" is originally defined as "to harass, harm, pursue, hunt, shoot, wound, kill, trap, capture, or collect, or to attempt to engage in any such conduct".

Under the new interpretation, unintentional killing of protected wildlife will no longer be considered unlawful. Phys.org reports that deaths resulting from foreseeable risks posed by activities such as commercial fishing or logging will be exempt from the law. Conservationists say this effectively guts the ESA.

The change means that only intentional actions against a particular animal or animals will be considered "taking" an endangered species. According to Phys.org, this shift was confirmed by the Trump administration and first reported by The New York Times, and has been criticised by conservationists, with Gib Brogan of Oceana Fisheries saying it will "cut the heart out of the Endangered Species Act".

Brief written by urgent.news from The Guardian US, Phys.org — 2 reports on this story. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.