Trophy import ban - current status

[wildfowler.250]

You can do whatever you want and don't let anyone tell you otherwise. It is still a semi-free country

Well it took 3/4 of an hour to draft something factual to my local MP,(but without too much extra detail). Will see what comes back..

I’ve no idea if you can write to lords but that will be my next thing. I do very much feel like there’s more important issues closer to home

 

[Dunwaters]

Also asked the question as to how mnay responses they had regarding Trophy hunting
155 against
2 For

This is the problem - so few in our community want to engage

Those statistics sound proportionally representative if you take the total population vs the much smaller segment who both have firearms and are interested or able to hunt abroad.
Its not that we don’t engage, we’re just too small a proportion of the population to have any real political influence.

 

[tim@tcs]

I tried to explain to my brother in law how hunting gave food and money to African families where as his favoured animal chasing four wheel drive photo safaris just harassed the animals!
Nope he is consumed by a blanket of hatred towards hunting!
A shame as I used to like him!
Anyone married to my sister needs sympathy!

 

[jall55]

Those statistics sound proportionally representative if you take the total population vs the much smaller segment who both have firearms and are interested or able to hunt abroad.
Its not that we don’t engage, we’re just too small a proportion of the population to have any real political influence.

Totally incorrect - IT IS SIMPLY WE DO NOT ENGAGE

 

[Dunwaters]

Totally incorrect - IT IS SIMPLY WE DO NOT ENGAGE

Using your own example.
There were 157 responses.
156,000 people in England and Wales have FAC’s out of a population of 42,000,000 people over 18. = 1/269 approx of the population have an FAC
2 out of 157 submissions were against a ban = 1/78 approx.
Therefore people against the trophy ban responded at almost 4 times the average rate based on population.
There are simply too many of “ them” and not enough of “ us” .

 

[angusb1]

I can't think of what we as a community or as individuals can do more than we do already to correct the view held by most of the general public that nature is like a Disney film and killing animals for any reason is bad. Their complete disconnection from and consequent lack of understanding of nature is staggering.

 

[wildfowler.250]

I can't think of what we as a community or as individuals can do more than we do already to correct the view held by most of the general public that nature is like a Disney film and killing animals for any reason is bad. Their complete disconnection from and consequent lack of understanding of nature is staggering.

I think the ‘grip and grin’ as the Americans call it that doesn’t do us any favours. Not knocking them.. a long hard day on the hill, a shot that goes to plan and some nice scenery etc. but the general public don’t see the bigger picture. And this is multiplied by animals that the public have only ever seen in a zoo.

Think folk don’t realise that the ‘trophy hunt’ animals are also getting eaten either. They just feel like they’re shot for their skins and horns which is completely misguided.

 

[jall55]

Using your own example.
There were 157 responses.
156,000 people in England and Wales have FAC’s out of a population of 42,000,000 people over 18. = 1/269 approx of the population have an FAC
2 out of 157 submissions were against a ban = 1/78 approx.
Therefore people against the trophy ban responded at almost 4 times the average rate based on population.
There are simply too many of “ them” and not enough of “ us” .

Not quite sure what that has to do with it really - Do our beaters / pickers up / wives / girlfriends / pub owners / etc etc etc not have a say too ? Its the thin edge of the wedge

 

[jall55]

I can't think of what we as a community or as individuals can do more than we do already to correct the view held by most of the general public that nature is like a Disney film and killing animals for any reason is bad. Their complete disconnection from and consequent lack of understanding of nature is staggering.

You cant ?
Write to your MP and encourage all your companions to do the same

 

[wildfowler.250]

https://bills.parliament.uk/bills/3547

So I take it it’s to go through a third reading again then? And then presumably, lords?

 

[Dunwaters]

Not quite sure what that has to do with it really - Do our beaters / pickers up / wives / girlfriends / pub owners / etc etc etc not have a say too ? Its the thin edge of the wedge

The point is trophy hunting is intensely unpopular and only a tiny minority of the general population pursues it.
The number involved is actually a small minority of the number of people who shoot or stalk.
If you were a politician, supporting trophy hunting would generate support from a very small minority, but would actively antagonise a far higher percentage of your electorate.
Supporting trophy hunting will reduce your chances of reelection.
Why would you do that?

 

[jall55]

The point is trophy hunting is intensely unpopular and only a tiny minority of the general population pursues it.
The number involved is actually a small minority of the number of people who shoot or stalk.
If you were a politician, supporting trophy hunting would generate support from a very small minority, but would actively antagonise a far higher percentage of your electorate.
Supporting trophy hunting will reduce your chances of reelection.
Why would you do that?

As usual you are either misunderstanding or misreading

"We" as a community - in my opinion - need to stand closer together and all be counted - whether that is a an active shot - beater - picker up - or consumer

 

[Dunwaters]

As usual you are either misunderstanding or misreading

"We" as a community - in my opinion - need to stand closer together and all be counted - whether that is a an active shot - beater - picker up - or consumer

There simply is no such thing as a homogeneous shooting community and trophy hunters are a very tiny minority of the total number of those who shoot.
You are dealing with a subset of a small fraction of the population.
In theory a democracy would protect the rights of the minority, but the precedents aren’t very encouraging.

 

[Conor O'Gorman]

Well folks, not that it’ll make much difference but I figured I should be at least 5% proactive around this.

Is it my understanding that the ‘newest’ bill was voted through parliament pretty much unanimously? And if so, is it then due to go through lords,(again?) at some point?

I was basically trying to weigh up if you can even write to House of Lords or whether you still have to go through your local MP? In which case, that ship seems to have sailed.

Seems an easy vote swinger for MPs despite there likely being more important things to sort closer to home.


Cheers!

There are currently no legislative proposals on hunting trophy imports. Contacting your MP with information about the benefits of hunting whether in the UK or overseas is always a valuable endeavour and reinforces BASC's political work with MPs.

 

[pauper]

https://bills.parliament.uk/bills/3547

So I take it it’s to go through a third reading again then? And then presumably, lords?

As far as I can tell, that was in the previous parliamentary session and thus that particular one won't make any further progress. It doesn't mean it won't be reintroduced though, but would need to be in the new session.

 

[Basil H]

Unfortunately, all sorts of hunting is afforded the term "trophy" hunting as a term of disapproval. Personally I do not possess any trophies*. However, I am well aware of the enormous importance of hunting - and especially trophy hunting - in the rural economies of many African countries. It is what protects the ongoing conservation of habitats and their fauna from degradation into second rate agriculture. To start to understand the bigger picture the recent book "Trophy Hunting" by Bichel and Hart is an excellent read. My support is as a zoologist as much as a hunter.

*On consideration there is the porcupine quill picked up on the kopje where we got the black wildebeest......the crane feather from the dry river bed where we couldn't find the bushpig......perhaps I do have trophies.

 

[angusb1]

You cant ?
Write to your MP and encourage all your companions to do the same

Already have

 

[wildfowler.250]

There are currently no legislative proposals on hunting trophy imports. Contacting your MP with information about the benefits of hunting whether in the UK or overseas is always a valuable endeavour and reinforces BASC's political work with MPs.

Thanks Conor. Stages wise it looked like it was set for a second reading. But I also thought it got voted through 49 to 0,(a worrying statistic in itself). But it’s been introduced several times in various forms it’s hard to keep track.

I’m not sure if brexit has put us in a worst position. I saw somewhere online that an import ban went against eu trade.

MP has been emailed though.

As far as I can tell, that was in the previous parliamentary session and thus that particular one won't make any further progress. It doesn't mean it won't be reintroduced though, but would need to be in the new session.

Thanks pauper. So it would have to be introduced as a completely new bill again? Politics aren’t my thing . It’s only a matter of time I feel. I wonder if they will be as lenient with export of stags antlers etc - probably as it’ll affect our own pockets..

 

[Whitefront]

The bill that was going through the last Parliament has fallen by the wayside because it didn't make it before the election, so it - or something like it - would have to be reintroduced and the process started all over again. That might well happen, perhaps by way of a private member's bill supported by the Government. But it hasn't emerged yet and the longer it is in abeyance, the more likely other issues and priorities will soak up Government attention. So it's watch this space, with no room for complacency.

Some countries may have already introduced bans, apparently, and the CIC is arguing that such actions within the EU should be left to the EU itself and not national governments. If this argument gains traction, it could be useful - or disastrous, depending on whether you think the bureaucrats who run the EU approve of trophy hunting. Either way, I wouldn't hold out much hope for this angle.

 

[wildfowler.250]

The bill that was going through the last Parliament has fallen by the wayside because it didn't make it before the election, so it - or something like it - would have to be reintroduced and the process started all over again. That might well happen, perhaps by way of a private member's bill supported by the Government. But it hasn't emerged yet and the longer it is in abeyance, the more likely other issues and priorities will soak up Government attention. So it's watch this space, with no room for complacency.

Some countries may have already introduced bans, apparently, and the CIC is arguing that such actions within the EU should be left to the EU itself and not national governments. If this argument gains traction, it could be useful - or disastrous, depending on whether you think the bureaucrats who run the EU approve of trophy hunting. Either way, I wouldn't hold out much hope for this angle.

Thanks! I don’t entirely understand how these private members bills work but that seems to be they way they seem to get floated in.

Fingers crossed more important topics come up in its place..