The US hunting lobby has spent £ 1m to put pressure on the government to postpone a ban on trophy imports, a new report by lawmakers found.
Boris Johnson promised to ban the import of these trophies three years ago, but the legislation has not yet passed parliament. Due to the delay, Conservative MP and animal welfare activist Henry Smith presented a bill to his private member banning the import of hunting trophies.
A new report by the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) banning trophy hunting details the lobbying efforts of international hunting groups.
The report found that the US-based hunting lobby group Safari Club International (SCI) had spent £ 1 million on a campaign to change the minds of lawmakers and the British public about banning the import of body parts of endangered species.
SCI is the world’s largest trophy hunting group. It awards prizes to its members for killing large numbers of endangered animals. Founded in the 1970s, it is one of the largest corporate donors to the campaigns of politicians in the United States and is called “the leading defender of freedom of hunting.”
The APPG report found that SCI was funding a Facebook page called Let Africa Live, which posted allegations such as: “The UK is on the verge of destroying local economies in Africa.” Although the site hinted that it was created by local groups in African countries, an investigation found that it was funded by SCI from a money pot called the Hunter Legacy 100 Fund. Eventually, the campaign’s page was shut down by Facebook, whose security chief said: “People behind this network have tried to hide their identities and coordination.”
Conservative MP Sir Roger Gale, chairman of the APPG, said fierce lobbying had warned the government that this could be a “controversial” issue.
He added: “The government, if something is in dispute, always asks for more time, but we must continue with it. The US arms lobby is lobbying like crazy … Safari Club International has put significant pressure on the government.
“I have my own talks with the prime minister. I think he is generally committed to introducing this legislation, but it should be done without worrying about this lobbying. “
Earlier this year, there was a heated debate in the Conservative Party, with ministers saying Johnson was close to lifting the ban after campaigning in the shooting and hunting lobby. At the time, the British Shooting and Conservation Association welcomed the news, saying the ban would harm conservation. Proponents of trophy hunting say the funds raised from the practice are needed to fund efforts to protect and support local economies.
The APPG report says the number of lions, elephants and rhinos has increased in Kenya, where trophy hunting is banned, while the number of lions has also recovered sharply in Zambia and Zimbabwe after temporary trophy bans.
Primate expert Jane Goodall told APPG: “Trophy hunters kill for fun. They destroy animals to brag, to show their supposed fearlessness and courage. The hunting lobby will work hard to maintain the status quo. If we want to preserve our reputation as a nation that loves animals, all hunting trophies must be banned. Time is of the essence. Many of the species killed by trophy hunters are close to extinction.
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A Defra spokesman said: “We are committed to banning the import of hunting trophies from thousands of endangered and endangered species. This ban will be among the strongest in the world, leading in the protection of endangered animals. And we welcome the bill of the private member, led by MP Henry Smith.
A SCI spokesman said the deleted Facebook page was made by an artist, not the club’s management. They said: “The truth is that in a wrong effort and without knowing SCI, a subcontractor provider took unauthorized action using fake social media accounts. Although it is unfortunate that they betrayed the trust of the hunting community by unnecessarily resorting to dubious tactics, the information provided by the seller regarding hunting and conservation is credibly true and is made no less relevant than incorrect distribution methods.
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