You are here: Home Fish and Wildlife Fish and Wildlife Polls How successful has the Endangered Species Act been in preventing the extinction of fish and wildlife?

Question: How successful has the Endangered Species Act been in preventing the extinction of fish and wildlife?

Answer: 99%

Baby coho salmonOf the more than 1800 species under the Endangered Species Act's protections, only 9 have been declared extinct, a 99 percent success rate.  Because of the Act, wild coho salmon can still be found in rivers like the Clackamas, gray whales still swim off the Oregon coast, and bald eagles still soar over the wetlands of the Klamath Basin.

The Endangered Species Act is one of America's most successful conservation measures!

99% success?

Posted by jdegraw at May 21, 2008 06:23 PM
Considering the sheer number of species that despite being listed are still declining (i.e. certain species of salmon and the spotted owl) it seems a bit too broad sweeping to say the act is 99% successful It's purpose was to recover the species not just keep them hovering on the brink of extinction.

 

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