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Rule to Protect Animals and Plants

What should we do to protect animals and plants that are in danger of becoming extinct? Setting a rule such as, "Must not hunt these animals or pick these plants" is a good solution. All we have to do is follow the rule, right?

In Japan, there is a law called the "Law for the Protection of Cultural Properties." This law designates animals and plants that are few in number, such as storks and sea turtles, and their habitats, as "natural treasures."

To protect threatened animals and plants, Japan has other laws too. One is the "Law for the Conservation of Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora." Wow, that's a long name! This law protects 51 kinds of threatened animals and plants in Japan such as the Iriomote Cat and Blakiston's Fish Owl. Under this law, we are banned from hunting or taking these animals and plants and destroying their habitats. Also it requires protecting them and increasing their numbers.

Another law is the "Wildlife Protection and Hunting Law." This law prohibits people from hunting or killing birds and animals other than certain specified ones. It also ensures protected areas for birds and animals. In addition to these laws, there are the "Nature Conservation Law" and "Natural Parks Law." These are laws to protect the areas where the animals and plants live, which leads to their protection.

Many other countries also have their own laws and regulations to protect the precious plants and animals in those countries. But, there are also people who illegally catch or kill animals, even rare animals, to make money. Such people are called poachers.

Why do you think poachers can make money by catching or killing the animals? The answer is that there are people who are willing to pay a lot for these animals simply because they are rare. For instance, rhinoceros and deer horns can be sold at high prices because they are used as medicine. Chinchilla and European beavers also can be sold at a high price for their beautiful fur.

To prevent people from catching wild animals and selling them to other countries, the Washington Convention (official name: Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora) was adopted in 1973. More than 160 countries have signed it. We are banned from selling and buying the plants and animals listed in the convention.

In addition to living animals, we are also prohibited from bringing taxidermic animals (stuffed and mounted animal skins), tiger rugs, alligator handbags, ivory ornaments, peacock feathers and butterfly specimens into our countries, no matter whether they are for gifts or for ourselves.

It is not until all the people around the world observe these laws and regulations that the plants and animals will be protected from extinction. But regretfully, despite these laws and regulations, some people selfishly take the plants and animals without permission just because they are rare and can be sold at high prices. We cannot tolerate people stealing these precious species from our earth and from our future generations.

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