Banning the import of hunting trophies to the UK could harm African conservation efforts, a thinktank has warned.
The Institute of Economic Affairs (IEA), a pro-free market thinktank, said the policy is “illiberal, harmful to conservation efforts, and detrimental to local communities in source countries”.
A bill to ban bringing hunting trophies into the UK was brought by a Conservative MP under the last government, and Labour’s manifesto also pledged to ban it.
Dr Francis Vorhies, author of the Elephant In The Room paper and founder of the African Wildlife Economy Institute in South Africa, argued that safari hunters bringing animal parts back to the UK can help conservation.
The paper also says a ban would be at odds with the UK’s membership of the World Trade Organization (WTO) as it would introduce a trade barrier.
He writes: “Trophy hunting, when properly regulated, can generate revenue for conservation, create economic incentives for habitat protection, support target species and their habitats, and contribute to local livelihoods.
“The bill demonstrates a growing consensus in parliament to move away from trade liberalisation.”
Dr Vorhies told Sky News: “The UK unilaterally banning imports are basically undermining a very well-established international framework to decide about trade and trade measures with respect to endangered species.
“Now, interestingly enough, the new proposal under the Labour platform doesn’t mention endangered species… the old Conservative platform did talk about endangered species.
“And so now the assumption seems to be that all trophies, or all hunted trophies should be banned irrespective of whether the animals are endangered.”
He added that revenue from trophy hunting “maintains wild landscapes”.
Read more:
Trophy hunting ban is revival of colonial conquest – Botswana president
Tourists can currently shoot big game, like rhinos, and bring their body parts back
Former Conservative MP Henry Smith, who introduced the original bill to parliament, said he could not understand Dr Vorhies’s argument.
He told Sky News: “I’ve always thought it a very bizarre argument that to save an endangered species, you kill an endangered species.
“In parts of Africa where trophy hunting has been banned, ecotourism to safaris brought in far more revenue.
“You can shoot an animal 100 times with a camera, but you can only shoot an animal once if you are seeking to kill it.”
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He added that it is not just countries in Africa hunting trophies come from, giving the example of body parts of endangered polar bears from Canada.
Mr Smith said it was “misleading” to say the ban was going against WTO rules as countries can choose what they do or do not import.
“This is about whether in a generation or two’s time, we want species like elephants or polar bears, to still exist,” he added.
A rhino being de-horned to prevent poachers from killing it in South Africa. Pic: Reuters
Dr Shylock Muyengwa, of communities charity Resource Africa, accused the UK of forgetting “to respect the will of African communities” despite colonialism being over.
He said: “We should be viewed as partners in conservation, not as British subjects that are forced to adhere to policies that please the British public who don’t have to live alongside elephants, lions or other dangerous animals.”
Last year, Botswana’s environment minister offered the British government a large herd of elephants in reaction to the proposed ban.
“I hope if my offer of elephants is accepted by the British government, they will be kept in London’s Hyde Park because everyone goes there,” Dumezweni Mthimkhulu said.
“I want Britons to have a taste of living alongside elephants, which are overwhelming my country.”
A Defra spokesperson said: “This government was elected on a mandate to ban the sickening import of hunting trophies from abroad, and that is exactly what we will do.”