Poaching remains a major concern of hunters. The Saint Hubert Club of France conducted a high-level symposium with the topic “Together, Defeating the New Poachers of Nature”.

At the invitation of Victor Scherrer, President of the Saint Hubert Club and Head of the French CIC Delegation, the CIC’s Presidential Advisor, Dr. Rolf D. Baldus, explicated the ongoing slaughter of elephant and rhino in Africa, explained the causes of it, and proposed solutions and the actions needed in order to move forward.

See the full speech in English.

The CIC President, Bernard Lozé, who also participated in the conference, concluded: “We as hunters bear a special responsibility for conserving not only these charismatic game animals but equally the wild places they live in and the other wildlife they cohabitate with. Therefore, the CIC has appealed, last year in its Milan Declaration, to hunters across the world to join in the battle against the ´Poachers of Nature´.”

See CIC’s Milan Declaration against Poaching.

An example of the commitment the CIC has made in the fight against wildlife crime is their support, together with their partners, of the game rangers of the Selous Game Reserve in Tanzania throughout the last year. The region has experienced heavy elephant poaching during recent years; however, a recent aerial count showed a decline of poaching and at least a stabilization of elephant numbers. This example proves that the battle against poaching is not futile despite the continuous illegal demand for ivory and rhino horn from Asia.

See SEEP flyer.