MAINE, USA — Sen. Susan Collins says she fighting to protect endangered animals by cutting off trafficking and poaching terrorists.
On Saturday, Sen.Collins announced she and Jeff Merkley (D-OR) signed the Rescuing Animals With Rewards (RAWR) Act into law. Collins says the RAWR Act authorizes the State Department to offer financial rewards for information that destroys wildlife trafficking and poaching networks.
“Wildlife trafficking is a transnational crime that requires a coordinated and sustained global effort to effectively combat it,” said Senator Collins. “Our bipartisan bill is one step closer to becoming law, building upon efforts to deter this illegal activity by allowing the State Department to offer rewards for information to help stop wildlife traffickers.”
“When wildlife traffickers, poachers, and profiteers kill magnificent animals like elephants, giraffes, and rhinos, they degrade critical ecosystems and rob the world of a piece of our humanity and shared history on this planet,” said Senator Merkley.
Marty Irby, executive director at Animal Wellness Action says, “We applaud Senator Collins for championing a creative solution to crack down on these international crimes and are grateful for her tremendous leadership on animal protection issues across the board.”
The RAWR Act, which was first introduced back in May, is supported by many environmental and animal welfare groups.
