The Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) announced in a final rule the addition to the U.S. List of Threatened and Endangered Wildlife the hyacinth macaw, a species occurring almost exclusively in Brazil and “marginally” in Bolivia.
The addition of the hyacinth macaw as a threatened species will become effective on Sept. 12.
FWS in a proposed rule issued July 25 announced plans to generally stop prohibitions on the import and export of endangered and threatened species added to the list after the proposed rule is finalized. The agency is accepting comments on that proposal through Sept. 24.
Under the proposed rule, import-export prohibitions wouldn’t apply to listed threatened and endangered species unless the FWS promulgates a “species-specific” special rule.
“In those cases, we intend to finalize the species-specific rule concurrent with the final listing or reclassification determination,” the proposed rule states.