Protect species over profits

The Endangered Species Act of 1973 is a success story. The humpback whale, the grizzly bear, the bald eagle, the manatee, the condor and the American alligator were all brought back from the brink of extinction. Saving mammals, birds, insects, reptiles and marine life from extinction is not just about one’s love of nature; it is about protecting the link between nature, ecosystems and our food and water security.

Experts may have better statistics, but estimates I have recently encountered have indicated that since 1970 we have lost the following: 40% of amphibians, 33% of reef-building corals, 25% of mammals, 14% of birds and 33% of insects. Only 3% of the original bluefin tuna still exist. This rate is considered beyond the natural extinction rate. The culprits identified are habitat loss, overfishing and overhunting, the introduction of invasive species, toxic pollution and climate change. Government interventions and protections are essential! The Trump administration is wanting to scale back rather than intensify, or minimally continue, the progress that has been made since 1973. We are at a time of urgency.

Please support prioritizing the survival of all species, including our own, over short-sighted corporate profits.

BARBARA L. MORGAN, Jackson