We have a major issue in the UK - opposition to trophy hunting is at an all-time high...fuelled by Anti-organisations (often deliberately muddying the waters on hunting vs. poaching), celebrity tweets and widely ill-informed and often simply untrue newspaper articles.

This has come to a head.....our prime ministers girlfriend is an anti and has persuaded him to push for a ban on trophy hunting imports and exports from the UK. He has appointed Zac Goldsmith as 'Minster for International Wildlife' (Zac is another Anti). The early day motion 'debate' that took place a month or two back wasn’t a debate in any way but a group of Members of Parliament regurgitating the fuel mentioned above and falling over each other to say how shocking and immoral sport hunting is and how it is harming 'endangered' species. For those of you that are interested canned Lion hunting was a stick they used to beat us with. Zac Goldsmith was the only person in the that seemed vaguely informed and at least acknowledged there would be implications to a ban.

I am sure lots of you will say... so what I don’t live in the UK and don't intend to ever go and hunt in the UK so I don’t care but as you know these things have a habit of gaining momentum so your country could be next.

If any of you are minded to help then they are collecting evidence to help form a decision. As much possible avoid anecdotal evidence but use science and data (ideally peer reviewed etc etc). It will be especially useful if you are an outfitter or represent an organisation.

Please highlight:

1) what would happen if hunting was banned (poaching/ land reverting to livestock instead of game/ habitat loss)
2) Success stories (Zambeze Delta/ Save/ Bubya etc etc)
3) The lack of alternative land uses (they think all part of Africa could be used for photo safaris)
4) Benefits to local population
5) explain how quotas work and how they are mature and old males
6) highlight how poaching works and what is being done to stop it
7) explain that far from driving extinction hunting is a huge force in conservation.

Please do not send any emails calling them stupid or anything else (it may well be true, but it would be massively counterproductive)

Please send your submissions to

huntingtrophyconsultation@defra.gov.uk
zac@zacgoldsmith.com

Many thanks for helping
Regards
Guy

You might want to petition SCI, DSC, UK shooting and hunting organizations, NGOs that support conservation and hunting, and finally ministry level positions for all African countries that support hunting. Not sure individual opinions will make any difference. Then again, doesn't appear anyone within the UK government is going to listen to reason so...

It is absolutely amazing that a county with roots so deep in Africa and hunting is so willing to simply turn it's back on its own heritage. The economic damage that this decision will cause is already being felt in the industry.

When African wildlife no longer has any economic value, the locals will care about conservation as much as they do about plastic bags littering the countryside. An elephant becomes nothing more than a four legged grocery store.

Thanks Gbax, I have urged all of hunting friends to do the same

quote:

Originally posted by Opus1:
You might want to petition SCI, DSC, UK shooting and hunting organizations, NGOs that support conservation and hunting, and finally ministry level positions for all African countries that support hunting. Not sure individual opinions will make any difference. Then again, doesn't appear anyone within the UK government is going to listen to reason so...

It is absolutely amazing that a county with roots so deep in Africa and hunting is so willing to simply turn it's back on its own heritage. The economic damage that this decision will cause is already being felt in the industry.

When African wildlife no longer has any economic value, the locals will care about conservation as much as they do about plastic bags littering the countryside. An elephant becomes nothing more than a four legged grocery store.

The UK organisations are on the case as i believe are SCI and DSC (although i question how much they will be paid attention to as the face of the US hunters)

What is really important are organisations on the groud - Outfitters, PH associations, game reserves (I learnt today that the Zim PH association has already responded for example).

Ministry level positions of countries would be great - we need people involved in the industry though to make sure this happens

quote:

Originally posted by RickyClark:
Thanks Gbax, I have urged all of hunting friends to do the same

Sounds good - i will respond myself but i think there is a very limited amount that hunters can do to help. If you know any then lobby your PH/ Outfitters and see if not only they can respond but get representative bodies to do them same.

Zac is an idiot and a loser.

Boris’s stupid bimbo is just trying to make a name for herself in the media.

Common sense is no longer around we all knew about England and it’s true gentlemen!

quote:

Originally posted by Saeed:
Zac is an idiot and a loser.

Boris’s stupid bimbo is just trying to make a name for herself in the media.

Common sense is no longer around we all knew about England and it’s true gentlemen!

I dont disagree Saeed but before long this could be everywhere. These people have the reins and we need to do as much damage limitation as possible.

As someone suggested why not contact all the PH Associations in every country in Africa and get them to send an official response. Easy to find their contact details online. This is their job or soon they will all have none!

Perhaps someone there should reach out to Ruaha Carnivore Project, their Facebook post on Oct 15 is very compelling.

https://www.facebook.com/ruaha...AtqX7haGw&__tn__=K-R

I would be happy to write something, if it would be considered worthwhile to help, but as a private individual who is not actively working in the field, would it be of any value given that I am not a British subject?

I’d be concerned that it would be treated like a similar letter to a US congressman and not be read individually and just clutter up what could be valuable attention.

quote:

Originally posted by Saeed:
Zac is an idiot and a loser.

Boris’s stupid bimbo is just trying to make a name for herself in the media.

Common sense is no longer around we all knew about England and it’s true gentlemen!

Well it's official, Zac's a confirmed loser.... Seat and Job.... Out the window, lost his seat last night.
Who comes next l've no idea, for better or worse.

quote:

Originally posted by Ratwhiskers:
Well it's official, Zac's a confirmed loser.... Seat and Job.... Out the window, lost his seat last night.
Who comes next l've no idea, for better or worse.

I would love to celebrate it but i dont belive the problem goes away with him

quote:

Originally posted by gbax:

quote:

Originally posted by Ratwhiskers:
Well it's official, Zac's a confirmed loser.... Seat and Job.... Out the window, lost his seat last night.
Who comes next l've no idea, for better or worse.

I would love to celebrate it but i dont belive the problem goes away with him

Boris has his blonde bimbo, totally brainless, but with lots of clout, especially now she is in 10 Downing Street!

Being against hunting is an easy ticket to please the sick media people.

l agree.

We're far from getting a reasoned balance of things round here.