Vermont Becomes 12th State to Ban Trade of Wildlife Products
On October 8, 2020, Vermont Governor Phil Scott signed H.99 into law prohibiting the trade of endangered species products within state boundaries. The act will go into effect in 2022.
The legislation specifically bans the sale of parts and products from over a dozen vulnerable and endangered species, including elephant, rhino, African big cats, shark, and ray.
While federal regulation covers the import and export of wildlife at the federal level, there is no federal law preventing the trade of wildlife parts and products within state boundaries. Vermont is now one of 12 states (plus Washington, D.C.) that bans wildlife transactions. Sponsored by Representatives James McCullough, Jessica Brumsted, Kathryn Webb and others, H.99’s passage is especially timely as studies continue to emerge that link wildlife trade as a potential driver of pandemics.
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