Washington, D.C. – Legislation to protect Africa’s Okavango River Basin – home to the largest remaining elephant population in the world – passed the Senate last night. House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Ed Royce (R-CA), a co-author of the measure, the Defending Economic Livelihoods and Threatened Animals (DELTA) Act (H.R. 4819), issued the following statement ahead of enactment:

“More than a million Angolans, Botswanans and Namibians rely on the waters of the Okavango. The delta supports economic livelihoods and some of the world’s most magnificent creatures – but it’s under serious threat. This legislation will help bring together the private sector, local governments and regional bodies to save this incredibly unique watershed from unwise development and ruthless wildlife poachers. It’s an important step forward to promote conservation, sound development and our national security.”

NOTE: Earlier this year, Chairman Royce led a bipartisan delegation to Angola and Botswana to promote the DELTA Act and other conservation and sound development initiatives. For over two decades, Chairman Royce has been fighting to protect the world’s most unique landscapes, the iconic animals that inhabit them and the communities that call them home. Learn more about his legacy of conservation HERE.

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