Summarizing public comments on federal rules
Endangered Species Status for Seven Pangolins
This page summarizes public comments on a proposed federal rule using using AI-assisted analysis and quote extraction. Below is a brief overview of the rule and timeline.
What this rule proposes: The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) is proposing to list seven species of pangolins—native to Asia and Africa—as endangered under the Endangered Species Act. The listing would provide protections against U.S. trade in pangolins or their parts, which are heavily trafficked for meat and scales. The proposal aims to support global conservation efforts by strengthening legal safeguards and limiting U.S. market demand.
Official title: Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Endangered Species Status for Seven Species of Pangolin
Agency: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Comment Deadline: August 18, 2025
Published: June 17, 2025
Docket ID: FWS-HQ-ES-2025-0028
Comment Themes
- support for listing
- urgency of action
- pangolin protection
- species protection
Public Sentiment
🟢 99.4% Support
🔴 0.6% Oppose
Sentiment percentages reflect deduplicated comments, used here due to a large imbalance in repeated messages.
Based on analysis of approximately 244 public comments.
Sentiment estimates are based on large language model classification (currently GPT-4o), which includes both direct statements and inferred positions. Deduplication helps surface original voices and recurring themes. Our methods are still evolving.
Last updated: 2025-07-12
Requesting an update helps prioritize this rule.Public Comment Summary
This summary reflects the most common points raised in public comments submitted on this rule.
Out of 244 public comments on the proposal to list seven species of pangolins as endangered, approximately 99.4% expressed support, while about 0.6% opposed it. Supporters argue that pangolins, being the most trafficked mammals globally, face severe population declines due to demand for their scales and meat. They believe that listing them as endangered would curb illegal trade, close legal loopholes, and bolster conservation efforts. They emphasize pangolins' ecological role in controlling pest populations and the need for public awareness to prevent zoonotic diseases. Although rare, opposing views exist, but the overwhelming consensus underscores the urgency of protecting these unique animals from extinction.
Comment Processing Summary
Out of 244 total comments, we applied multi-level deduplication to reduce repetition and highlight original, personally written submissions. This helps capture a more representative range of public input.
- 187 remained after removing exact duplicates
- 185 after filtering near-duplicates (name swaps, minor changes)
- 161 were considered clearly original (~66.0%)
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Representative Quotes
Showing 0 out of 84 sampled from original, non-duplicate comments.
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