The end of trophy hunting?

[MJ75]

I keep seeing more and more restrictions on big game hunting. Some countries banning the hunting of certain species. The US imposing restrictions on what trophies can be imported causing real issues for outfitters. This was taken from a large hunting forum elsewhere. It highlights the efforts of animal rights extremists lying in order to further turn the public against trophy hunting. They even seem to be giving each African lion it's own name these days. I also note that the author solicits donations at the end of the article!

My question to you guys is, do you think they'll ever come a time in our lifetime when we'll no longer be able to hunt in places like Africa?



Driving nails into the coffin of Safari Club International | Daily Maverick


Trophy hunting is not about science, rights or traditions, or about personal choices. It is about right and wrong, good and evil. The self-evident truth is that killing for pleasure and profit is morally wrong. [FONT=&quot]
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People around the world are following the search for Skye, the pride male lion who disappeared after a 7 June hunt. There was no such mystery after the killing of Cecil – three years ago next week – in Zimbabwe. We knew the details and identities of those involved immediately, and international headlines appeared within 24 hours. But the hunt industry has since closed ranks, and as journalists beat the bush for information, those who have the answers are withholding them.[FONT=&quot]
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The selling of animals to globe-trotting trophy hunters has long been controversial. But Cecil was a turning point, igniting unprecedented outrage.[FONT=&quot]
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His killers exposed trophy hunting as the merciless business it has always been and which is now a threat to our planet’s rapidly disappearing wildlife.[FONT=&quot]
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Afterwards the hunt industry sought absolution with extravagant conservation claims, including providing an anti-poaching presence, which were not, however, supported by evidence.[FONT=&quot]
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These claims began in earnest with a growing need to buy public acceptance. For the first time, professional hunters and their clients were and continue to be under scrutiny. The reality is that wildlife watching has the lion’s share of total tourism revenue in Africa and everywhere else. So it is not only wildlife populations threatened by the killing of the biggest and best, but tourist numbers as well. Many are repelled and angered by the grisly details of hunts circulating in mainstream and social media.[FONT=&quot]
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It has been reported that Skye was killed by a Kentucky millionaire. We can guess his identity, but in a way it doesn’t matter. He is a Safari Club International member, and one of a subculture of elites who enjoy killing large numbers of rare big “game” animals.[FONT=&quot]
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In one decade, American trophy hunters alone killed 5,552 African lions. From 2005 to 2014, they brought home more than 1.2 million trophies of more than 1,200 different kinds of animals. They compete in killing the most animals for the most rewards, and are avid collectors of victim body parts.[FONT=&quot]
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They stage gala award events to celebrate and congratulate. It’s all tax-exemptible guts and glory, and without it does anyone imagine they would be interested in protecting wildlife? If they sincerely want to save species, let them offer the dollars without demanding a life in exchange.[FONT=&quot]
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US journalist, author, and prominent Republican Matthew Scully has spent considerable time watching and writing about the SCI, dispelling any idea of it as an environmentally-friendly, conservation-minded organisation. They are coldhearted killers, he tells us, and “respect” means only the courtesy of leaving enough behind for the next hunter. Surveying the stacks of marketing brochures filled with the “pornography of bloodlust” and price lists, he writes:[FONT=&quot]
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“You don’t have to be the fainthearted type to take in a scene like Safari Club and feel that something has gone horribly wrong, something involving our own human dignity every bit as much as the animals’.”[FONT=&quot]
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Still SCI manages, through intense lobbying and funding, to convince governments everywhere to facilitate what its members do. But it seems lawmakers and even mainstream media are not yet recognising the change in public attitudes towards all nonhuman animals.[FONT=&quot]
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We now know much more about the high intelligence and complex social behaviours of lives that parallel our own. Trophy hunting is not about science, rights or traditions, or about personal choices. It is about right and wrong, good and evil. The self-evident truth is that killing for pleasure and profit is morally wrong. It is a crime against nature and opposition across North America is rapidly becoming political.[FONT=&quot]
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This week the LA Times editorial read:[FONT=&quot]
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“The state of California can’t stop a misguided African government from allowing the hunting of endangered animals in its country. Nor can it stop the US government from permitting the importation of these trophies. But it can discourage such hunting by barring hunters from bringing new trophies to California and keeping them in their homes or elsewhere. This bill would mean no new heads mounted on walls should it be approved.”[FONT=&quot]
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In a more direct response to the June hunt, US conservation and welfare groups are now urging the Trump administration to immediately deny import permits for all lion trophies taken near Kruger National Park in the Umbabat Reserve.[FONT=&quot]
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Safari Club types largely come from the west; we know them well. Canada is the leading exporter of trophies to the US, ahead of South Africa. We know they are not interested in conserving wildlife except to protect their game. They assuredly do not acknowledge that iconic species are now struggling for survival with intense human-caused pressures on habitat and range movement. But there is no time to wait while we work out our differences. If future generations are ever to live in the same world as wild lions, elephants, giraffes – and all targeted victims the world over – these people must be stopped. Ethics-based approaches to wildlife conservation and co-existence issues must be and are being found.[FONT=&quot]
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Tourists Against Trophy Hunting (TATH) is an international lobbying coalition. We are conservationists, journalists, photographers, activists, tourism operators, and tourists, and through member connections reach a global audience in the millions.[FONT=&quot]
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We oppose trophy hunting everywhere. One year ago we challenged hunts surrounding Kruger National Park in an Open Letter published in South African media. We now challenge it again. It is appalling that wildlife in a protected park continues to be traumatised by hunting concessions along its boundaries.[FONT=&quot]
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The dropping of fences ostensibly to improve both wildlife-watching and offer more room to roam was in reality a cold calculation. SCI hunters in their forums refer glibly to Kruger as the “factory”, reliably turning out their trophies.[FONT=&quot]
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Sabi Sands is one model of how to shut these killers out. Umbabat, Timbavati and the other area “game” reserves callously use the fences to profit from both sides. In spite of ongoing challenges to these opportunistic hunts, we see a government that is unresponsive and seemingly indifferent to the fate of African wildlife.[FONT=&quot]
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A keynote speaker at the UN World Tourism Organisation recently said it is time for ecotourists to find their voice. We are finding our vice, and our contempt for this pillaging of the world’s wildlife is being heard. TATH joins the urgent call for details and names surrounding the June hunt. We want this killing, along with the murder of Cecil and Xanda and all of the unnamed elephants and lions, bears and wolves, to become another nail in the coffin of Safari Club International. DM[FONT=&quot]
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Judy Malone writes on behalf of Tourists Against Trophy Hunting.[FONT=&quot]
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[sauer]

Ah well .....should hunting be banned in Africa then watch the biodiversity disappear and the worlds largest cattle ranch evolve

 

[XYZ]

Typical anti hunting rhetoric from a well known anti hunter.
She interestingly neglects to mention the example that is Kenya and the decline in wildlife numbers since hunting there was banned in 1977.
The recent lion stories from Namibia and South Africa have been seized upon by social media wildlife warriors and the truth has been blurred to suit anti hunting agendas knowing that most ARAs will not bother seeking facts and truth but will only see and hear what they choose.
No, I don't think we will see the end of hunting in Africa in my lifetime because there is too much at stake.
Namibia is famously pro hunting and a lot of income is derived from it because they do it right and recognise the benefits hunting brings to the country and it's wildlife populations.
Perhaps certain practices might stop and weaker countries might cave in to the pressures brought by anti hunting groups but hunting will continue for as long as I wish to travel there.

 

[JabaliHunter]

Ah well .....should hunting be banned in Africa then watch the biodiversity disappear and the worlds largest cattle ranch evolve

Would have happened already if efforts to eradicate the tsetse fly had succeeded.

Wildlife will only exist in parks, with restricted range and overpopulation causing catastrophic environmental degradation. Just look at parks like Oostvaardersplassen in the Netherlands.

But populists and governments are just stupid enough to ensure that it does happen, even in the face of overwhelming scientific evidence suggesting that sustainable use is a practical and effective conservation model.

 

[BLUEROLL]

Maybe some hope with Botswana possibly allowing Elephant hunting again.

 

[A Guy Out West]

God that was a blood boiling read. Ms. Malone has it all backwards. Trophy hunting involves old animals, ones that have reproduced for years and spread their genes throughout the heard. They have led long lives. To me it seems that the guys that take the young meat animals do more damage. Taking a really young animal before it has reproduced or only reproduced once seems like it would do more damage to the heard. None of it matters if the game is properly managed though. Give something value and it gets managed rather quickly.

 

[enfieldspares]

Obnoxious and arrogant about a "misguided African government". These are sovereign nations. Not colonies.

Typical patronising preconceptions. It's their right to allow hunting if they see fit. Their right (as in some African nations) to not allow it.

But somehow this woman thinks the interests of pampered tourists trump the widlife control needs of the local environment?

This woman represents an industry that pollutes hugely with its long haul flight based holidays staying in air conditioned hotels.

What does she represent? The wildlife tourist industry. That's good is it? Shooting Skye the lion is bad then? Double standards

Her clients contribute to emitting tons of CO2 to fly themselves to Africa get a picture of a lion I can download at home off the bloody internet isn't?

Wildlife tourism is bad. Cossetted hotels.. usually closed to the locals... interaction with those locals restricted to the woman who cleans your room and the "boy" who brings your drinks.

Environmental hypocrisy of the worst is most wildlife tourism. If you want pictures of lions download one off the bloody internet.

 

[Safari Hunter]

Unfortunately it is not just the individual antis that are a problem. The more you look into surrounding business to hunting you see things being slipped in on the quiet.
Flights for example. BA are anti and charge you for the privilige of taking firearms, SAA and Virgin still no problem. However, when you get to SA the only internal carrier for firearms is SAA. A lot of these flights are now being managed by Mango who will not allow firearms.
Then there is the flight to bring trophies back home. I do this twice a year in bulk for my clients and the prices are starting to sky rocket. SAA Cargo and Turkish airlines are the best at the moment. Talking to the agents they tell me the UK is the most expensive country to send to due to regulations. It is half the price to send to the US. Figure that one out.
I had an interesting conversation with our taxidermist over in SA and he is looking at different business adventures in the future as he believes foreign hunters wil not take trophies home within 10 years!!
Anyone who wants to do Africa should do it now because it is only going to get harder and more expensive.

 

[paul k]

I think another fact that should concern us all is that it is predicted that the bulk of World population growth will occur in sub-Saharan Africa putting even more pressure on wild spaces for housing and food production.

 

[NoIDeer]

To run a photo tourism business you need an Elephant, a giraffe a couple of lions etc. etc., to run a hunting business you need strong breeding herds, prides, packs... to replace the ones that get culled.

I've just got back from hunting Botswana, the "farm" we hunted was teeming with all types of wildlife. We saw between us the three big cats, a pride of lions walked through the camp! All manner of indigenous plains game. Elephant broke in to the property to get to water, the boreholes in the CKGR weren't all working.

I read a statistic, in the early 70's there were just over half a millions head of game in South Africa in 2005 there were an estimated 18.7 million. All because of hunting.

It would be a tragedy for African wildlife if Europe and the US banned the import of trophies.

 

[MJ75]

I've read a lot of for and against arguments for trophy hunting. Sometimes you even find an objective individual writing an honest and impartial piece on the pros and cons.

But one pro that seems to come under a lot of scrutiny is the claim that trophy hunting help support local communities financially. Critics often argue that very few people actually see any revenues from hunting. It's really the landowners, PH and his immediate team that benefit directly and few others.

Anyway, the first time in RSA after finishing hunting we visited the Wild Coast a small xhosa village ran by a local 'headman'. Whilst there we heard the locals hunting bushbuck with dogs. Our PH said he'd love to hunt bushbuck there and put something into the local community. It makes me wonder if the South African hunting industry could in theory capitalise on this. Yes I'm acutely aware that I may be being very naive here, but could individuals put local land owning communities in touch with foreign sport hunters so that the hunting fraternity could demonstrate better that they can make a positive difference to local communities.

Yep, I'm aware there is a lot of nepotism and corruption out there. But I still wonder if something would be possible. Getting more locals onside would in theory help with any future political decisions made and in theory wildlife habitat may be better protected.

Just a random idea made fro the comfort of my office completely unaware of the very challenges that would be faced by anyone undertaking such a venture. But in theory.....