US Lacey Act Prohibits Trade of Illegally Taken Wildlife

"On May 25, 1900, President William McKinley signed the Lacey Act (Act)—the nation's first legislation in the conservation of fish and wildlife resources. The need for this federal legislation arose after awareness of plummeting populations of migratory bird species and depletion of several game species as well as increasing international and interstate trade concerns . . . As a consequence, poachers could not escape state law violations simply by running across state borders . . . Since its passage in 1900, the Lacey Act has been expanded over time, becoming one of the most effective tools in the protection and conservation of fish and wildlife in the U.S. and around the world."