https://www.nytimes.com/2022/0...rophies-hunting.html



U.S. Allows Hunters to Import Some Elephant Trophies From African Countries

After settling a lawsuit filed during the Trump administration, the Fish and Wildlife Service granted six permits to bring elephant parts into the country. It may approve more in the coming months.


By Miranda Green
April 1, 2022, 11:04 a.m. ET


The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service informed some hunters last month that it would allow the import of six elephant trophies into the United States from Zimbabwe. The African elephant carcasses will be the first allowed into the country in five years.

The decision reverses an agencywide hold on processing elephant trophy import permits that was put in place during the Trump administration in November 2017, and has since prevented any elephant tusks, tails or feet from being brought into the country.

The reversal is the result of a September 2021 settlement with the Dallas Safari Club, a big-game hunting organization that sued the Trump administration in December 2019 for pausing trophy permit processing. The environment and tourism ministry of Namibia was also a plaintiff in the case. The Fish and Wildlife Service is required under the settlement to process the permits of the 11 hunters named in the suit, as well as 73 other outstanding permit applications. That could potentially lead to additional trophies being brought into the United States from countries that allow limited hunting of elephants for sport.

According to a Fish and Wildlife Service spokesperson, both parties “negotiated a settlement they consider to be in the public interest and a just, fair, adequate and equitable resolution of the disputes set forth in the plaintiffs’ complaint.”


The service’s decision to settle the lawsuit continues a long-running dispute between hunters and biodiversity experts over whether trophy hunting is beneficial or harmful to big game species, particularly endangered animals like the two species of African elephants. It has also prompted criticism from activists and biodiversity groups who question why the agency did not fight the lawsuit or reinstate a similar ban that was instituted during the Obama administration.

They point out that the move goes against President Biden’s commitment on the campaign trail to limiting hunting imports. The critics also say it is the latest in a series of confounding steps by the Biden administration to acquiesce to lawsuits leftover from the Trump administration and a failure to invest in more protections under the Endangered Species Act, like conserving more gray wolves. They argue these actions show that Mr. Biden hasn’t kept his word on environmental priorities.


“We expected the Biden administration would have halted everything and taken a hard look and made some tough decisions that maybe this isn’t something we should be doing given the biodiversity crisis,” said Tanya Sanerib, senior attorney at the Center for Biological Diversity. “So to have the reality be the exact opposite of that, it feels like whiplash.”

For trophy hunters and big game groups, the reversal came as a long delayed win.

“It’s a victory for conservation because in a lot of these places where elephants reside, the habitat is only made available because of hunting dollars,” said Lane Easter, 57, an equine veterinarian in Texas whose trophy permit was approved under the settlement for a Zimbabwe hunt he did in 2017.

The majority of trophy hunters are from the United States. Under the federal Endangered Species Act, hunters must prove before they import a trophy that killing the animal aided in the “positive enhancement” of a species.


The Fish and Wildlife Service’s perspective, which predates Mr. Biden’s election, is that trophy hunting can qualify as species enhancement if it’s “legal, well-regulated hunting as part of a sound management program,” the agency spokesperson said.

Big game hunters say that the money they spend on hunts is later invested in the rehabilitation of the species and economically benefits nearby communities, preventing poaching. They also say that hunting certain animals like elephants and lions can benefit overall herd health.

Hunters can spend upward of $40,000 on an African hunt in Zimbabwe, Tanzania, Zambia and Namibia, and many of them win the rights through bidding wars held at national conferences like the Safari Club International’s annual convention.

But groups like Humane Society International say that hunting a species does not benefit its survival and that the Fish and Wildlife Service should not allow paid hunts to qualify as a method of species enhancement, especially on animals the United States considers threatened. The International Union for Conservation of Nature in 2021 revised its listing for both species of African elephant to highlight that both are at greater risk of extinction.

Critics also say there is little proof that money paid for a hunt ultimately helps the species recover, especially when corruption has been found to be rampant in several of the countries where African elephants reside.

“There is no evidence that trophy hunting advances conservation of a species,” said Teresa Telecky, a zoologist and the vice president of wildlife at the Humane Society International.

When Donald Trump was elected president in 2016, big game hunters expected it would be easier to import elephant trophies. The week before Thanksgiving in 2017, the Fish and Wildlife Service reversed an Obama-era ban, allowing hunters to import elephant trophies from several African countries. The news set off a storm of disapproval and criticism, with even staunch allies of Mr. Trump warning the move might increase the “gruesome poaching of elephants.”


Just 24 hours later, Mr. Trump tweeted that he would put the decision on “hold.” After that tweet, not a single elephant trophy was approved for import to the United States.

“Because the president found trophy hunting distasteful he essentially abrogated the law with a tweet,” said George Lyon, the lawyer who represented the Dallas Safari Club, “and that’s not how the administrative process is supposed to go.”

So far, the wildlife service said it had processed eight permits. In addition to the six it allowed, it denied two, and it is expected to rule in coming months on more. Mr. Lyon estimated that as of last September, close to 300 elephant trophy permits from various African countries were awaiting processing.

Mr. Easter says he’s not wasting any time to bask in his legal victory. His elephant’s tusks are already being prepared for shipment to his home in Texas.

“They are going to hang in the living room of my house, and I will remember that elephant for the rest of my life,” he said.

He has another trophy hunt in Africa booked for August.

quote:

“It’s a victory for conservation because in a lot of these places where elephants reside, the habitat is only made available because of hunting dollars,” said Lane Easter, 57, an equine veterinarian in Texas whose trophy permit was approved under the settlement for a Zimbabwe hunt he did in 2017.

Congratulations, Lane!

Yes.

Well done my friend.

Good deal! Glad yours was approved.

Thank you kindly gentlemen.

That's awesome! Congratulations, Lane!

Very happy for you Dr.

Congratulations Lane.

Lane,

Thanks for leading the way on this important issue.

Congratulations, sir!

Perseverance pays off!

Great job Lane!

Gentlemen,
Thank you all very kindly. But, it is DSC, their legal team, and John Jackson that deserve the credit. Please support both. I was blessed to be able to participate.

This is a clear example of how orgs like Dallas Safari Club help us. We may not always agree 100% but unity gives us a voice.

Excellent Lane!!

quote:

This is a clear example of how orgs like Dallas Safari Club help us. We may not always agree 100% but unity gives us a voice.

Well said Doc! And congrats!

quote:

Originally posted by JTEX:

quote:

This is a clear example of how orgs like Dallas Safari Club help us. We may not always agree 100% but unity gives us a voice.

Well said Doc! And congrats!

I’m glad there is light at the end of the tunnel.

I obviously love DSC and the great things they do. On the other hand, I can’t stand the NRA, but they are necessary.

quote:

Originally posted by ledvm:

We may not always agree 100% but unity gives us a voice.

So true. We need to be unified .

Is there any documents that show who the other 73 applicants are?

Happy for you Lane. Would love to get our tusks hunted two years earlier and two months after the ban.

J&J

Excellent news!

Been emailing Conservation Force and an email I have for John Jackson without response. Does it usually take awhile?

quote:

Originally posted by Frostbit:
Been emailing Conservation Force and an email I have for John Jackson without response. Does it usually take awhile?

John has always been pretty prompt with his reply. Is this the email you are using?
cf@conservationforce.org

quote:

Originally posted by ledvm:
Thank you kindly gentlemen.

Congratulations!

Truly happy for you.

https://neweralive.na/posts/bo...ildlife-conservation



Boost for Namibia’s wildlife conservation… as US allows hunters to import some elephant trophies
2022-04-28 Staff Reporter



Emmanuel Koro



Namibia’s wildlife conservation efforts were this year boosted following the US government’s removal of the unnecessary hold on the African elephant trophy hunting imports.

The five-year ban on the African elephant trophy hunting imports into the US significantly reduced the opportunity of earning international hunting revenue and, in turn, wildlife conservation.

Namibia was one of the countries that successfully challenged the US government’s five-year elephant trophy hunting import ban under the administration of President Donald Trump.

The ban was lifted by a US court in August 2021 but the US trophy hunting imports regulating agency (US Fish and Wildlife Service – USFWS) could not immediately lift the hold on trophy hunting imports.

It only did so eight months later, in April 2022.

The removal of the hold has boosted Namibia’s wildlife and habitat conservation prospects, using international hunting revenue for elephant trophies.

“Yes, certainly, Conservation Force assisted Dallas Safari Club and some of their individual members, our own ministry and Namibia Association of Community-Based Natural Resources Management – NACSO in Namibia to argue in the US court for the lifting of the African elephant trophy hunting import hold,” said the President of Namibia Professional Hunters Association (NAPHA) Axel Cramer.

“The lawsuit became protracted largely because of Covid-19 challenges and a simple settlement grew harder to reach. There was a growing backlog of trophy import applications that were just not attended to during the Trump administration. The case was, however, settled, and the US Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) committed to processing the outstanding applications within a couple of months.”

The past five years were quite difficult for the Namibian international hunting industry with its key international elephant hunting market, the US, closed.

The local hunting communities in which almost all the hunts are conducted were also negatively impacted by the US five-year elephant ban.

revenue from international hunting as elephant hunting trophies also fetch one of the highest prices on the international hunting markets.

“The NAPHA members and other concession holders with an elephant on their quota did not stop hunting elephant despite the unwillingness of US Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) to attend to the processing of the import permits during that time,” said Cramer.

“There was a shift to find alternative markets for elephants to supplement the US as the key elephant hunting market.”

Wildlife conservation is at the very heart of NAPHA.

Aware that the US’ five-year elephant trophy hunting imports ban was going to diminish elephant trophy hunting revenue and, in turn, wildlife conservation revenue, NAPHA sought and found new international markets for elephant hunting.

Then Covid-19 reared its ugly head, almost totally collapsing Namibia’s entire tourism industry following the enforcement of international travel bans.

With wildlife conservation being at the heart of NAPHA’s hunting culture, wildlife did not get destroyed by poachers.

“Despite the hardships faced by many farmers, outfitters continued to protect our wildlife and the costly anti-poaching units guarded Namibia’s iconic species,” said Cramer.

“All efforts were made to assist and finance these anti-poaching operations where we could. Wildlife crime trends have generally continued the downward trajectory in 2020. NAPHA is a key stakeholder of our Ministry of Environment, Forestry and Tourism (MEFT). Our ministry launched a revised and updated Elephant Conservation and Management Plan during 2021 after extensive consultations, including NAPHA.”

Cramer said at the height of Covid-19 challenges, NAPHA used international hunting revenue to produce Namibia’s future wildlife managers.

“We established our new hunting school during 2021 and branded it as the NAPHA School of Conservation, where we educate and train aspiring hunting professionals from various spheres and racial groups of the public,” he said.

“NAPHA does not operate in a void, and it is heavily dependent on our national and international partners. Without the active and generous support from various hunters and like-minded associations, we would not be able to fund and host community outreach projects facilitated by our Hunters Support Education Committee.”



Ban attempts

Asked to comment on the ongoing attempts globally to ban international hunting that brings so much revenue and hope towards wildlife and habitat conservation, Cramer said: “While we do understand the instinctive dislike of conservation hunting by some members of the public, the reality of the matter is that no alternative land use has yet been identified and developed, which equally protects the wildlife and habitats found in these vital landscapes, while also generating valuable revenues for local communities. The reverse is true, where hunting has been subjected to bans and more room has been created for alternative tourism methods, wildlife has often suffered, and conflict with communities and poaching has increased.”

He demonstrated that international hunters constitute low volume tourism with low pressure on the environment but comparatively bringing much higher revenue than photographic tourism.

“Interesting statistical data by a leading research company in Namibia found, however, that only 3% of tourist’s arrivals are indeed conservation hunters,” said Cramer.

“Although they make up only a fraction of the entire market, they account for close to 20% of all the tourism revenue.”

He said all indications are showing that the future of international hunting looks much brighter in Namibia.

“We are, however, very happy to report a definite uptick in bookings and actual hunts of our international hunting guests,” he said.

“A lot of hunts that are conducted now stem from bookings a year or two ago. Our government also improved international travel conditions, especially for vaccinated travellers, who are now only required to present proof of full vaccination at the port of entry.”

Cramer said NAPHA “is not surprised” that most of the southern Africans, the public, including those from Namibia, are not aware that the UN international wildlife trade regulating agency CITES allows even the most endangered species, such as the black rhino, to be hunted as part of wildlife conservation and management.

However, he said, this lack of awareness of hunting as a management tool for all wildlife, including endangered species, such as the black rhino, needs to be removed by proactive and ongoing media public awareness messages.

“We are not surprised that some Southern Africans are not aware that even endangered wildlife can be hunted as a wildlife management measure,” he said.

“Therefore, public education and awareness-raising are necessary. Yes, it is part of our mandate, and we are effectively doing so by issuing press releases and media statements, amongst, others to inform our public on this.”

Meanwhile, President Cramer acknowledged the great wildlife conservation efforts that all the conservancies (hunting communities) in Namibia are making.

The world was recently stunned to learn how the benefits of hunting have enticed one of Namibia’s conservancies, Anabeb Conservancy, to switch from cattle land-use option to wildlife production land-use option because wildlife brings more revenue.

“We would not want to single out the Anabeb Conservancy or any other conservancy for that matter, as they almost all make valuable contributions to habitat and wildlife conservation,” he said, suggesting that all Namibian conservancies are making impressive wildlife and habitat conservation efforts.

“Many conservancies in our country also conduct an open system, where wildlife is tolerated and traditional revenue streams from cattle and goat herding are complemented by income generated from conservation hunting. The Anabeb Conservancy was heavily impacted by prolonged periods of drought, and the decision to switch from cattle to wildlife production seemed to be a logical step.”



*Emmanuel Koro is a Johannesburg-based international award-winning independent environmental journalist, who writes extensively on environment and development issues in Africa.

Just a follow up for you guys…I brought my tusks home on Thursday of this last week. There were no issues with the import.

Good deal!

quote:

Originally posted by ledvm:
Just a follow up for you guys…I brought my tusks home on Thursday of this last week. There were no issues with the import.

How far out is your Safari with your son?

My dad was too ill to hunt with me when I killed my first deer a broken 2 year old 10 point.

I remember bringing in the cape that night. I do not remember any conversation, but I remember he and I holding each side of the antler. We got no pictures because he was very consciousnesses of his appearance after taking ill again.

We board the first plane at noon tomorrow.

I think it is obvious I mean this in a good way, but just in case I will make my intentions known, that I mean this positive.

Get on out of here.

quote:

Originally posted by ledvm:
Just a follow up for you guys…I brought my tusks home on Thursday of this last week. There were no issues with the import.

Congratulation on your tusks, I know when you first but your hands on them you were overwhelmed.

quote:

Originally posted by LHeym500:
I think it is obvious I mean this in a good way, but just in case I will make my intentions known, that I mean this positive.

Get on out of here.

Certainly good news; congrats Lane.

Let me know where I can buy a trophy ele hunt for 40K (or even less, as the article said "upwards of 40K).

quote:

Originally posted by Kathi:
Trophies From African Countries


The African elephant carcasses will be the first allowed into the country in five years.

Lane,
Please let us all know the cost of shipping your elephant "carcass" back, the bill must have been bigger than the elephant, LOL. Congratulations on getting your tusks back, and best of luck to you and your son.
John

Thank you kindly.

quote:

Originally posted by ledvm:
Just a follow up for you guys…I brought my tusks home on Thursday of this last week. There were no issues with the import.

That is great news! Congratulations!!

quote:

Originally posted by ledvm:
Just a follow up for you guys…I brought my tusks home on Thursday of this last week. There were no issues with the import.

Congrats on getting them in! We have received word from USFW that they are making good progress on the backlog of permits.

Thank you Jason.