The United Kingdom (UK) Government has reiterated its intention to ban the import of hunting trophies following a speech given by the Queen on 11 May, 2021. The decision was made without any apparent consideration given to the UK consultation on the import and export of hunting trophies which allowed stakeholders to have their say on the topic, the results of which have yet to be released.
In the speech, the Queen stated that legislation will be brought forward to ensure that the UK has the highest standards of animal welfare. Documents released in tandem with the speech gave further details on the initiative, which included the following as one main elements of the plan:
“Banning the import of hunting trophies from endangered animals abroad and ending the advertising for sale here of low welfare experiences abroad through an Animals Abroad Bill.”
The news comes while the UK’s Department for Food, Environment and Rural affairs (DEFRA) has yet to release the results of their consultation on the import and export of hunting trophies.
The consultation, which ran between late 2019 and early 2020, collected evidence and data from the public on the scale and wider impacts of hunting trophies on inter alia wildlife conservation, the global economy, and human livelihoods.
Many conservation organisations and individuals, both in favour of and against the trade of hunting trophies, were actively involved in submitting responses to the consultation. The International Council for Game and Wildlife Conservation (CIC) also submitted its own responses, compiling numerous studies and academic articles on the benefits generated through the trade of hunting trophies.
The CIC is disappointed that the UK Government has announced the decision to ban the import of hunting trophies from endangered animals without first publishing the results of this consultation.
This shows a disregard for the academic process and due diligence that should accompany such policy decisions. Failing to consider the scientific evidence associated with this topic will ultimately result in negative implications for wildlife species, habitats, indigenous peoples and local communities, as well as other stakeholders involved in this industry.
We would urge the UK Government to first release the results of the DEFRA consultation before taking any further action.
This will help ensure that any wildlife management decisions are made with a consideration for the facts and wildlife science. Furthermore, we would encourage the UK Government to consult and hold discussions with the stakeholders from the countries that would be affected by such a ban before looking to make any legislative changes.
Given the wealth of knowledge, experience and data on the matter at hand, the CIC would also encourage the CITES Secretariat to reach out to the UK Government to inform any decisions that are made in regards to the trade of hunting trophies.
In regards to the ending of advertising for low welfare experiences abroad, the CIC is supportive of the spirit of this initiative. While the term “low welfare” is a broad one that is open to interpretation, the CIC is deeply committed to ensuring that experiences involving wildlife use are conducted in a responsible and ethical manner.
This is highlighted in our firm stance on captive bred lion shooting (CBLS). The CIC and Dallas Safari Club (DSC) released a joint statement condemning CBLS in November, 2020 – the statement now has more than ten co-signatories. In addition, the CIC played a role in High Level Panel discussions which led to the recent decision to end the captive bred lion industry in South Africa.
The CIC stands ready to assist the UK Government in clarifying a definition for low animal welfare experiences abroad, should it be required.
In addition to the import ban on hunting trophies from endangered animals, the UK will also be enacting the Ivory Act to ban the trade of ivory.
The accompanying document to the Queen’s speech states that legislation will be brought forward, with the aim of:
“Implementing the Ivory Act to ban dealing in elephant ivory and consider further steps to limit the trade and sale of foie gras.”
The Ivory Act will involve a total ban on dealing in items containing elephant ivory (regardless of age) within the UK, as well as export from or import to the UK. Narrow and carefully defined exemptions will be defined, and a new compliance system will be established to allow owners to continue trading in exempt items.
When creating exemptions from the ivory trade ban, we would urge the UK Government to introduce policies that will enable the trade and transport of ivory in the form of personal effects (rather than for commercial purposes).
Once again, we would encourage that the CITES Secretariat be consulted in relation to any decisions that relate to the trade of ivory derivatives. The CIC stands ready to assist and provide further guidance and feedback to the UK Government on the subject of personal effects in particular. It is essential that individuals not be unfairly punished and criminalised for items that they have acquired legally in the past.