Young giant panda in a tree.
A protected species is any plant or animal that a government declares by law to warrant protection. Most of the protected species are considered threatened or endangered. In these cases, the government sets certain rules regarding the species, which if violated can result in fines or criminal prosecution. Species protection laws vary from government to government. In the United States, state laws can declare a species protected, while federal laws cannot. In most cases, a federally declared protected species must be respected by the state.
Whales are considered a protected species, although some governments have restarted whaling.
The impetus behind protection laws is the risk of species extinction. Ecologists have shown that losing even the smallest species can have a direct effect on the rest of the plant and animal population. For example, a grass consumed by a specific animal becomes extinct due to habitat destruction. The animal may die as a result of not finding its available food source, causing further disruptions in the food chain.
Humpback whales became a protected species after being hunted to near extinction.
While some animals adapt by finding new food sources, others do not. The destruction of bamboo forests, for example in China, has greatly reduced the panda population. Scientists discovered that pandas ate different types of bamboo at different times of the year. Even a small loss of bamboo was significant for the panda, which is now on the brink of extinction.
Pesticides contribute to air and water pollution, harming many species.
Species protection laws may include provisions to leave the habitats of some protected species intact. They may also include provisions regarding hunting, fishing, or even trespassing on an area where a protected species lives. Some laws are enacted to remove introduced predators from an area, which actually encourages the hunting or trapping of non-habitat animals.
Some countries continued to kill humpback whales after the US declared them protected.
The eastern quoll, a small marsupial, was once common in Australia but is now only found in Tasmania. When Europeans began hunting foxes in Australia, several foxes survived and began to eat oats. Every year there are fewer and fewer quolls. There is a small population of foxes in Tasmania that environmentalists fear will eventually take over and destroy the rest of the village to the east.
The destruction of bamboo forests can greatly reduce the population of the species.
Humans are often better equipped to protect plants or animals. By building in previously pristine areas, we often destroy habitats. In most cases, we indirectly destroy the habitat through pollution. Chemicals derived from many sources are the most common forms of contaminants. Cosmetics, cleaning products, pesticides and fuels contribute to polluting water and air, reducing populations of species.
Tigers are protected throughout Asia.
Species protection laws tend to focus specifically on habitat maintenance, but there are some problems. Not all countries respect the protection of certain species. This is particularly important for animals that live in the sea. When the United States declared humpback whales a protected species, some countries were still capturing and killing them.
One government cannot prevent another government from reducing the number of protected species. Pressure from various governments can convince those who do not recognize an animal’s protection status to do so. But opinions differ on when a species has recovered enough to no longer deserve protection. Recently, some governments have started whaling again, regardless of their protection status.
The Florida manatee is a protected species.
Countries debate these issues internally. Many in the United States strongly believe that encroachment on the habitats of protected species should be discouraged at all costs. Others believe that humans have rights over animals or plants. Serving the industry is more important than protecting a species. This schism of opinion tends to break down the political divisions between Democrats and Republicans. Democrats are more likely to support environmentally sound laws, while Republicans are more likely to support corporate rights. While these political stereotypes tend to be true, there are Democrats and Republicans on both sides of the issue.
Since the election of President George W. Bush, environmentalists have been frustrated by what they perceive as a lack of support for declaring plants and animals protected. Environmentalists believe that urgency is often required to save a species from extinction, and they feel that this sense of urgency is not shared by enough politicians and citizens.