A perverse effect of captive propagation? The federally unprotected status of the eastern hellbender (Cryptobranchus a. alleganiensis)

Abstract

Some scientists worry that the use of captive propagation as a conservation tool can unintentionally divert attention and resources from habitat protection. This concern was vindicated in the case of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's April 2019 decision that the eastern hellbender, a giant, aquatic salamander that has experienced population declines for decades, does not warrant listing as endangered or threatened under the Endangered Species Act. This paper examines the case history, resulting lawsuit, social context, and paradoxes of this listing determination, where the aspirations of well-intentioned captive rearing programs were used as a pretext for denying the need for additional protections, a result that is best understood in light of discussions about perverse effects and unintended consequences in biodiversity policy and law.