Wildlife Protection

Federal statutes and international treaties give the Department of the Interior's Fish and Wildlife Service adequate authority to protect wildlife. The Migratory Bird Treaty Act does not, however, give the Service the authority to conduct a search and seizure without a warrant, as do other laws protecting wildlife. GAO continues to believe that it would enhance the Service's enforcement authority if the act were amended to provide such search and seizure authority. The Service investigates more than 10,000 suspected violations each year and maintains a conviction rate averaging more than 90 percent for cases prepared for prosecution. The agency cannot, however, investigate many more suspected violations or respond to state requests to participate in certain investigations because (1) it has a limited number of agents and (2) many of these agents are deskbound for months at a time due to insufficient operating funds. Further, the Service lacks readily available information on suspected violations and other enforcement activities that could help to justify needed resources. Although Interior is developing an information system capable of recording suspected crimes against wildlife, it also needs to (1) ensure that its agents report all known or suspected violations, whether they are investigated or not, and (2) document all state requests for assistance. This information should then be used to substantiate the resources the Service needs to carry out its law enforcement activities effectively.