Center for Biological Diversity
[link removed]
Endangered Earth
No. 1,216, Oct. 26, 2023

--------------------------------------------


Migratory Birds Need Your Help
In one night this month, approximately 1,000 migratory songbirds died after flying into Chicago’s McCormick Place, attracted to the building’s bright lights. It’s a tragedy that could’ve been prevented with the flick of a light switch.
The Migratory Bird Treaty Act is supposed to stop careless bird-killings like these. But the Trump administration gutted that crucial wildlife law with a rule, making it impossible to enforce. Thanks to legal work by the Center for Biological Diversity, the Biden administration revoked the rule.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service then promised to create its own rule to enforce the Act — including by curbing light pollution during migration and requiring more bird-friendly architecture. Yet more than two years later, the agency still hasn’t acted. Meanwhile, every day, countless other birds die needlessly across the country, striking glass that could be modified to become bird-friendly and prevent these tragic deaths.
Tell the Service it’s long past time to enforce the Migratory Bird Treaty Act. [[link removed]]


Lawsuit Launched to Save Orcas From Trawl Nets
The Center just filed a notice of intent to sue [[link removed]] NOAA Fisheries for failing to protect marine mammals in Alaska’s Bering Sea from massive bottom trawl nets.
Nine orcas were found dead in trawl nets this summer. Alaskan trawl fisheries also kill and injure humpback whales, fin whales, bearded and ringed seals [[link removed]] , Steller’s sea lions, northern fur seals, and Pacific walruses [[link removed]] . NOAA Fisheries is failing to safeguard these imperiled animals and their entire ecosystem from the destruction caused by the Bering Sea trawl fishery — the largest fishery in the United States.
Help us fight for marine mammals with a gift to our Saving Life on Earth Fund . [[link removed]]


Help Save Colorado Species and the Climate
Following Center legal action, the Bureau of Land Management is revising its plan for managing oil and gas development across 2 million acres of western Colorado public land. We took the agency to court because its previous plan didn’t account for the climate crisis.
Unfortunately, neither does the new one.
Once finalized, this important plan will leave the region open to oil and gas development for decades to come — even though climate scientists warn that fossil fuel production in developed nations like the United States must end by 2030 to stop catastrophic warming.
With regional climate impacts mounting — quickly drying out the Colorado River system and accelerating extinction — it’s time to act. Safeguarding habitat for imperiled species like Colorado pikeminnows and Colorado hookless cacti requires the BLM to adopt a resource-management plan that aligns with climate science.
Tell the BLM to phase out oil and gas in western Colorado now, putting western Colorado’s long-plundered land, air, water and wildlife over profit. [[link removed]? sourceid=1008843&utm_source=eeo&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=eeo1216&utm_term=PublicLands&contactdata=XL6FhO+XMGI08iRF2RDWCjY+rKh0ox3NELvBjxxgwZC8WnXZx+5K9KhppjVZ7sASb3AyzDtPAMsFPjNVG5tcjZjkcZck+f8Dfmt5n636SUVqBnuDriYfZEctTdVNSnibfVrsM2qbWzA7ZQh5+3vWJEUeFV9LtGNqpklvjt/LC+RWWsmuXalUUge0SAJJ3Ioq]


Horseshoe Crabs Spared for Another Year of Orgies
Horseshoe crabs are some of the oldest animals on Earth, known for their massive beach orgies along the Atlantic Coast. They also provide a critical food source for endangered migratory shorebirds. Thanks to public outcry — including 34,000 comments opposing their killing — many of these ancient creatures will make it through another year in the wild [[link removed]] .
An agency that oversees the mass killing (aka “harvest”) of horseshoe crabs for bait has decided to spare the females in 2024. Unfortunately it may kill more horseshoe crabs in future years. We’ll keep you informed about chances to help them.
Watch (and share) this short video about these living fossils on YouTube [[link removed]] or Facebook.
Gray and black illustration of the extinct short-faced bear [[link removed]]
Center Author Wins Award for Book on Extinct Bears
Chasing the Ghost Bear: On the Trail of America’s Lost Super Beast , a nonfiction book by the Center’s Mike Stark, just won the top prize in the 2023 New Mexico-Arizona Book Awards in the Nature/Environment category. The book, which chronicles the search for the biggest bear species ever in North America, is part travelogue, part natural history and part meditation on extinction and loss.
Check out the book [[link removed]] and listen to an interview with Mike from Arizona Public Media [[link removed]] .


Officials Seize Endangered Fish Organs Worth $1M
Officials in Arizona just nabbed their second-largest seizure of swim bladders [[link removed]] from endangered fish called totoaba. Smugglers were trying to move 91 swim bladders, worth about $1 million, from Mexico into the United States in a shipment of fish fillets.
Known as “the cocaine of the sea” for their black-market value, totoaba swim bladders are illegally exported to Asia to make soup (supposedly with medicinal properties). Although totoaba fishing is illegal, people still do it — and it’s driving endangered vaquitas [[link removed]] toward extinction. Only about 10 of these tiny, shy porpoises still survive.
Demand better law enforcement to help save vaquitas. [[link removed]]


Revelator: Horror Writers’ Environmental Fears
The “invisible monsters” of climate change and extinction stalk us all. But as experts in terror, horror authors are uniquely qualified to remind us that fighting monsters helps create hope.
Head to The Revelator to read their illuminating thoughts about these dark themes. [[link removed]]

That’s Wild: Get to Know These Spooky Species
In time for Halloween, there’s a new spooky shark species on the scene. After years of meticulous research, scientists have finally given a Latin name to a kind of mysterious sea creature off the Australian coast [[link removed]] . The recently discovered deep-dwelling sharks with shiny, eerie white eyes are still waiting on a common name, but since they’re from a group called demon catsharks, chances are it’ll be something fitting for spooky season.
Researchers also recently announced several new species sure to inspire some shrieks: big, hairy spiders! [[link removed]] Deep in the heart of El Chocó — a region in Colombia that’s a biodiversity hotspot for spiders — biologists discovered three tarantulas and a trapdoor spider.

*********************************************

Share Endangered Earth Online: [link removed]

Donate now to support the Center's work: [link removed]

Follow Us

[link removed]
[link removed]
[link removed]
[link removed]
[link removed]

This message was sent to [email protected].

Opt out of this mailing list: [link removed]

Center for Biological Diversity
P.O. Box 710
Tucson, AZ 85702
United States

0-0-0-0