Animal rights campaigners are celebrating a massive win in the Sunday People ’s fight to put an end to the import of hunting trophies.
Ministers have promised the toughest laws in the world to ban the vile practice, including up to seven years in jail for those caught smuggling skins, heads and other body part “souvenirs” to Britain.
The pledge from Environment Minister George Eustice follows years of pressure from anti-hunting groups, backed by the People. Now campaigners are demanding the Government put a date on when new laws will come in.
Every day of delay will mean more lives of vulnerable and threatened species lost, they warn.
The pledge follows a series of exposures by the People of the sick boasts of hunters who kill lions, cheetahs, elephants, hippos and other animals for so-called sport.
The ban on importing hunting trophies will cover 6,000 animals deemed under threat from international trade, including the frequently killed “big five” – lions, leopards, rhinos, elephants and buffalo.
It has also been widened to include 1,000 other species considered to be near-threatened, including zebra and reindeer.
In another win, the threat of loopholes for hunters donating “blood money” to conservation schemes has been ruled out.
Mr Eustice said: “This will be one of the toughest bans in the world.
“It goes beyond our manifesto commitment and means Britain will be leading the way in protecting endangered animals.”
Campaigners hailed the victory, but urged the Government to ensure the proposals soon become reality.
Eduardo Goncalves, founder of the Campaign to Ban Trophy Hunting, said: “This is what we’ve been calling for. Once implemented this looks set to be the strongest ban in the world.
“I urge the Government to bring in the legislation as soon as possible.”
Mark Jones, of charity Born Free, said: “This ban will send a clear signal that the UK does not condone the brutal killing of threatened wild animals for this so-called sport.
“We urge the Government to introduce and implement it as quickly as possible.”
Claire Bass, of Humane Society International, said: “Ministers must expedite this to make going on holiday to kill endangered animals and bringing home their body parts as legally indefensible as it is socially unacceptable.”
Prime Minister Boris Johnson vowed two years ago to “end this vile trade” but campaigners feared Whitehall was back-pedaling on the pledge.
Labour MP John Spellar had proposed a private Bill calling for the ban, which was blocked by Government whips on Friday after failing to win time for debate.
While welcoming the subsequent proposals, Mr Spellar slammed the failure to provide a timetable for a law and pledged to press on with his own Bill.
He accused ministers of having “no sense of direction” over the the plan to end animal cruelty.
Mr Goncalves is to press ministers to adopt Mr Spellar’s Bill as the basis for legislation in order to fast-track the ban.
The promise of action follows a Whitehall survey which found 86% of people supported a ban.
Lorraine Platt, of the Conservative Animal Welfare Foundation, said: “Allowing these imports is simply not compatible with our nation’s respect and love for animals.
“Future generations will look back in disbelief that we allowed this for so long.”
Now make law before more die, says Eduardo Goncalves, founder of Campaign to Ban Trophy Hunting
This is a great victory for us and the Sunday People’s campaign to stop this cruel and sick practice.
While the world was battling Covid, British trophy hunters quietly jetted off to Africa to kill lions, elephants, giraffes, hippos and zebras – for fun.
They posed for smug selfies with their kills, and brought the heads and bodies of their victims back to Britain to show off.
People think trophy hunters are Americans. But the reality is that Brits are among the world’s most notorious elephant hunters.
British trophy hunters kill lions that are bred for the bullet in cages. They shoot them in fenced enclosure, like fish in a barrel.
Surrey-born Carl Knight even encouraged clients of his African hunting firm to take advantage of “plentiful” prey, such as lions, during the pandemic travel lull.
A British woman has been voted the world’s top female trophy hunter. A retired British businessman has just come runner-up in the international race for the best trophy hunter.
The Campaign to Ban Trophy Hunting has been working with the People to expose these people and their barbaric crimes against nature.
We revealed how they laughed about “grabbing a few beers and shooting monkeys for fun”.
Thankfully, the Government has listened. If implemented, this will be the toughest ban of its kind anywhere in the world.
It’s a victory for common sense, for voters – 86% of whom back the ban – and a victory for the People and its readers who have supported our campaign. Most of all, it’s a victory for defenceless animals everywhere.
But the Government won’t say when the Bill is coming to Parliament. Delays cost lives. Every week that goes by means more animals murdered by these sadists.
So we must keep up the pressure on Boris Johnson and his government to ban this evil trade – now.
