We cannot stop trophy hunting in Africa as there are too many vested interests in it

It seems impossible to stop the cruel practice of trophy and sport hunting in Africa. I’ll provide one example of how vested interests get in the way. During the last UK government’s time in power, they introduced the Hunting Trophies (Import Prohibition) Bill 2022-23. That piece of legislation was passed through the House of Commons and received government support but it was blocked in the House of Lords where over 60 amendments were tabled at the committee stage preventing the bill from progressing further beyond the end of the parliamentary session and since then of course Labour has come into power after a general election.

This bill would have prevented the import of hunting trophies into Great Britain. And as you can see, in the House of Lords in Britain there are a significant number of white, elderly and rich male individuals who support trophy hunting. They are susceptible to lobbying interests. There is a small but vocal group of Conservative Lords who played a crucial role in blocking this bill. They employed tactics like tabling numerous amendments and delaying the whole legislative process. Obviously not all the lords in the House of Lords are against trophy hunting. But there are over 800 lords in that chamber (far, far too many and we all know that) and therefore it is quite easy for a significant minority to block the passage of legislation in the Lords.

This highlights the incredibly difficult process of passing a controversial bill in the UK which supports conservation and protects iconic species on the African continent where they are persecuted.

And let’s be honest, the leaders of many African nations support trophy hunting because they argue that it improves conservation by funding it but on my research, there is little evidence of that. Yes, these nations charge heavy prices for a licence to shoot iconic species but where does that money end up? In the pockets of officials I would argue and not in the funds of conservation groups on that continent.

There is a new Hunting Trophies (Import Prohibition) Bill 2023-24. It is similar to the previous bill with the amendments made in the House of Commons incorporated. I suspect that those amendments came down from the House of Lords and some of them have been incorporated.

The new Labour government supports the bill I’m told. But don’t hold your breath. There are, in truth, too many vested interests in trophy hunting. And these people are often wealthy. They have the power to influence politicians. Money talks. And personally, having watched this process for a long time, I do not see much hope for a ban on the importation of hunting trophies into the UK. Not if the leaders of African nations are not with it. Some leaders have consistently objected to this legislation. They repeat the same old mantra namely that the legislation will harm conservation because apparently killing animals in Africa boosts conservation. I have never understood that formulation. It seems a dire state of affairs to believe that.

I think we are completely and terminally f**k*d if it takes the shooting of iconic species to protect those species. It’s turning logic on its head.

Yes, the Hunting Trophies (Import Prohibition) Bill 2023-24 is being debated in this parliamentary session. The bill had its second reading in the House of Commons on March 22, 2024. This bill aims to prohibit the import of hunting trophies into Great Britain, covering species listed under the Principal Wildlife Trade Regulations 2018. The Labour Party supports the Hunting Trophies (Import Prohibition) Bill. They have expressed their commitment to animal welfare and conservation, which aligns with the objectives of this bill.

Good news but it is likely to be filibustered out again.

Does sport hunting in Africa work against conservation? The conventional argument. Don’t believe it all.

This is a complex issue with reasonable arguments on both sides. Here is a summary of some of the key points:

Arguments that sport hunting can support conservation:

• Hunting can provide significant revenue for conservation efforts and local communities, incentivizing habitat protection and anti-poaching measures.
• Carefully managed hunting of surplus male animals can help regulate populations and maintain healthy ecosystems.
• Hunting fees can fund conservation programs, park management, and anti-poaching initiatives.

Arguments that sport hunting undermines conservation:

• Hunting can reduce populations of vulnerable species, especially if not tightly regulated.
• The practice is seen by many as unethical and promotes the killing of animals for entertainment.
• There are concerns that corruption and mismanagement can lead to overhunting and abuse of hunting concessions.
• Nonconsumptive wildlife tourism (e.g. safaris, photography) may provide greater long-term economic and conservation benefits.

Overall, the impact of sport hunting likely depends on the specific regulations, management, and distribution of benefits. Reasonable people can disagree on whether the positives outweigh the negatives for conservation. More research and transparency is needed to fully assess the tradeoffs.

Please forgive the odd typo. I produce this articles in around 20 mins. Ignore the typos and get the gist of it. 😉😎