AQUARIUM FEARS WEAKENING OF ENDANGERED SPECIES ACT

Mystic — Mystic Aquarium is seeking the public’s help in urging the U.S. Department of Fish and Wildlife Service to rescind proposed rule changes that the aquarium states would “significantly weaken the Endangered Species Act,” and risk extinction for many species.

The USFW has begun a public comment period to receive input on the proposed changes to the act. The aquarium, meanwhile, has placed an action alert on its website at MysticAquarium.org.

Petitions will also be available at the aquarium during its International Coastal Cleanup celebration on Sunday, Sept. 16, and its National Estuaries Day celebration on Sunday, Sept. 23.

One of the changes would remove a requirement that all agencies that enforce the ESA make their decisions based on scientific data, “without reference to possible economic or other impacts of such determination.” The proposed change would remove that phrase.

Currently, endangered and threatened species are treated much the same but the proposed rules would change that. In addition, there would be a change to language regarding the time frames about how long species are considered threatened.

The aquarium stated it is the institution’s belief “that it is imperative that all decisions about recovering endangered species should be based in best available science, not special interest or economics. They have grave concerns that these proposed rule changes will open the door to more dangerous revisions that will weaken the Endangered Species Act.”

“With habitat loss, biodiversity declines, climate change and human interaction, increased protection for endangered species is more critical than ever,” said Katie Cubina, senior vice president of mission programs for Mystic Aquarium, in an aquarium announcement of the effort.