Time to increase poaching penalties

(Richard Palmer is director of the Pa. Game Commission Bureau of Wildlife Protection. He is asking the state legislature to pass HB 2205, which increases fines and penalties for wildlife violations).

Trophy animals, as well as threatened and endangered species, are being stolen from the citizens of Pennsylvania every year.

Poaching is increasing throughout the Commonwealth. More than 1,000 prosecutions a year have been made for the past three years.

The current low penalties can create a sentiment that these crimes are not important. They're not an effective deterrent. For example:

One offender was convicted of 50 violations. Forty of these crimes were for poaching wildlife, primarily deer with trophy class antlers. Fines assessed and license revocation had no deterrent effect on this subject and he did not stop committing wildlife crimes until he was incarcerated for other criminal offenses.

A second chronic offender was charged with 86 counts of unlawful taking of wildlife, primarily deer and turkey. Acting on a tip, investigators found more than 100 pounds of antlers, 54 turkey beards and a diary of criminal activities detailing the poaching of 300 big game animals. Citizens who tipped off authorities were appalled that the law does not provide any jail sentence.

Another poacher was charged with killing 126 bucks. Under current law, this egregious offense could only be charged as summary offenses with no possibility of imprisonment.

Causes of poaching vary, but one myth is that most poachers are committing their offenses to provide food. Meat poachers are, in reality, not even a fraction of a percentage of all cases prosecuted.

Often modern poaching is done by criminals driving $30,000 vehicles, using expensive night-vision technology, illegal silencers on the firearms, and militarystyle rifles. Most commonly the causes are simply greed and obsessive behavior in collecting antlers.

A disturbing and increasingly common cause is killing simply for thrill, with no intention of making use of any part of the animal.

A lesser known cause of poaching is the illegal commercialization of wildlife in the black market trade. The scale is staggering. The unchecked demand of the market is driving many species to the brink of extinction.

Black market wildlife trade is often linked to organized crime and involves many of the same criminals and smuggling routes as trafficking in weapons and narcotics. In Pennsylvania, the most common species and animal parts sold on the black market are venison, velvet antler, fully developed antlers, black bear gall bladders, paws, skulls, claws and hides, and protected bird feathers and talons from eagles, owls, hawks, and song birds.

Increased penalties do have a deterrent effect. Black market criminals have told undercover offi- cers that they deal in wildlife, rather than other contraband, because there is no threat of imprisonment.

Poachers from other states have confessed that they come to Pennsylvania because fines are usually lower and there is no possibility of jail time.

We encourage the legislature to increase penalties.