The Migratory Bird Treaty Act

The migratory bird treaty act was passed in 1918. It decreed that all migratory birds and their parts eggs, nest, feathers are fully protected. Today the migratory bird treaty act is protecting more than 900 species of birds. Before the migratory bird treaty act was passed four conventions between the United States and four international counters Canada, Mexico, Japan, and Russia was made. In the late 1800's the hunting and shipment of birds for the commercial market and the plume trade which were decorative feathers reduced the population of many bird species. This method of hunting down bird and never allowing the population to regenerate led to the extinction to many species of birds; like the passenger pigeon where at one point three to five billion passenger pigeons once lived in the United States. On May 1900 The Lacy act was passed it was the first federal wildlife protection act and it prohibited game being taken illegally across state lines. But because of lack of officers to enforce the law it failed to stop the interstate shipment. What the Lacy act was able to do was open the door four new laws to be introduced. On March 4, 1913 The Weeks McLean Law was passed it was designed to stop commercial hunting of birds. Later the law was replace by The Migratory Treaty Act.