INGRAM, Texas — North America’s largest non-profit organization dedicated to conservation through commerce, the Exotic Wildlife Association (EWA) confirmed its current leadership and welcomed two new members to its national board of directors. Election results were announced during the EWA’s 43rd Annual Meeting held recently in Kerrville, Texas.
Don Tarpey of Barksdale, Texas, was re-elected as the EWA president and John Harwood of Leakey, Texas, and Jesse Wheeler of Harper, Texas, were swore in as new board members. All of the positions are two-year terms.
In addressing the board, Tarpey reaffirmed EWA’s conviction to preserve and manage exotic species and stated the biggest problem currently facing the EWA, as well as the entire industry, is the pending court ruling which threatens the survival of the Scimitar-Horned Oryx, Addax, Dama Gazelle antelope and other exotic species.
“Preserving the current legal status of these species is critical to survival of our industry,” says Don Tarpey, president of the Exotic Wildlife Association. “Our members as well as landowners across the country have successfully managed exotic species for many years and we’ve grown the populations to where we can begin returning some to their native countries where they are virtually extinct. But, the new court ruling jeopardizes all of that and actually pushes these animals closer to extinction.”
In July 2009, Federal Judge Henry Kennedy ruled that three species — Scimitar-Horned Oryx, Addax, Dama Gazelle — which are born and raised in the United States, will no longer be exempted from their listing on the endangered species list and no longer freely traded without federal permits. The three species are classified as an endangered species, however, special rules enacted by the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service in 2005 made it possible for owners of captive herds to purchase, sell, move and manage these animals on ranches across the United States. The program has been very successful and now adds a $1.3 billion annually and thousands of jobs to the U.S. economy.
However, new regulations which will be implemented because of the ruling could threaten the survival of these three species, and could soon impact the ability to hunt other more common exotic species like Blackbuck, Axis deer and Aoudad.
The EWA is a non-profit organization dedicated to leading wildlife conservation through commerce. As a part of its public education efforts, the EWA publishes a full-color bimonthly magazine, Exotic Wildlife, which updates EWA members on current legislative news and important issues impacting game management and private property rights. The EWA also hosts an annual meeting and video animal auction in March and the annual Trophy Game Records of the World Banquet in July.
To learn more about EWA or to donate to the Save Exotic Wildlife Fund, call 830.367.7761, email saveanimals@exoticwildlifeassociation.com or visit www.exoticwildlifeassociation.com.
Headquartered in Ingram, Texas, the Exotic Wildlife Association is dedicated to encourage and to expand the conservation of indigenous and non-indigenous hoofstock animals, and to foster development of the alternative livestock market through agricultural diversity. For more information on EWA, call 830.367.7761 or visit www.exoticwildlifeassociation.com.
