Wildlife Weekly Wrap-Up

Decline of pollinators threatens global food supply
A new study released Monday reports many pollinator species are facing extinction, including nine percent of bee and butterfly populations facing a ‘high level of threat.’ Fruits and vegetables that require pollination from bees, birds, wasps and moths make up about 35 percent of the global crop production. The study lists a number of contributing factors to the decline in these species, including aggressive farming (which is reducing wildflower patches), climate change and parasites. The use of insecticides is also noted as a having a negative effect on pollinator populations, including the widely used neonicotinoids which have been linked to the collapse of one-third of honeybee colonies in the U.S. since the mid-2000s. Join Defenders in its fight to save bees and other pollinators by urging the EPA and Administrator Gina McCarthy to ban the use of insecticides that can harm these delicate species.

News round up on Oregon’s wolves
Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife this week announced Oregon’s fragile wolf population grew by 36 percent this year! And, here’s an even better twist: This population rise occurred as confirmed livestock losses to wolves declined for a second year in a row. The bottom line: Oregon has more wolves, but fewer conflicts with livestock! It’s great to see this validation of Oregon’s wolf management approach, which puts non-lethal methods first to avoid conflicts between wolves and livestock, such as livestock guarding dogs or fencing. But, instead of doubling down and ensuring continued success for wolves in Oregon, this week, a bill that would legislatively delist wolves is being sent to Governor Brown where she can decide to veto it or sign it into law. If made law, this would open the floodgates for the legislature to make politically driven decisions in the future about the fate of Oregon’s imperiled species. This bill puts politics above science and is an unfortunate distraction from the real work that Oregon’s wildlife officials should be doing this year to ensure that wolves continue their recovery. Check out our guest editorial in today’s Oregonian!

Polar bears catch a break
As a result of a ruling from the courts this week 187,000 square miles has been redesignated as critical habitat for threatened polar bears. Ensuring wildlife have access to their habitat is essential for their continued recovery, and it’s even more critical as climate change continues to diminish the arctic habitat these bears depend on. Defenders and our conservation partners were heavily involved in this process, and this new rule is surely a victory we’re celebrating. Learn more here.

Making a difference for sea otters during tax season
If you live in California, you have a chance to make a difference this year by contributing to the California Sea Otter Fund on your California income tax return. Your donation to the California Sea Otter Fund will support the California Department of Fish and Wildlife’s sea otter research, which has discovered that a substantial proportion of sea otter mortality has been caused by diseases, parasites and toxins. Tax check-off contributions make up 100 percent of the California Sea Otter Fund; there is no other source of financial support for these programs. The fund needs to reach at least $287,775 to continue to exist in later years. For additional information, please visit the California Department of Fish and Wildlife tax check-off page and the Sea Otter Fund Facebook page. Don’t live in California? You can still help save sea otters by adopting one of these marvelous marine mammals!

House sportsmen’s bill packed with anti-wildlife proposals
Last Friday, the House of Representatives passed H.R. 2406, the “Sportsmen’s Heritage and Recreational Enhancement (SHARE) Act of 2015,” and it’s a complete disaster for wildlife. This bill includes provisions that strip federal protections for gray wolves, block efforts to crack down on the illegal ivory trade, upend management of our National Wildlife Refuge System and bar regulation of anti-predator practices on national wildlife refuges and preserves across Alaska. To learn more, check out our press release.