http://www.itv.com/news/2016-0...ting-rhino-elephant/


Link has article and interview with Prince William.

The UK anti's were "oohing and ahhing" when William participated in a few public service announcements (PSA) denouncing the illegal wildlife trade (and rightfully so - IMO). Now that his views regarding legal and sustainable hunting have become public, the UK anti's are demanding his "head on a platter" (figuratively speaking of course).

quote:

Originally posted by Cajun1956:
The UK anti's were "oohing and ahhing" when William participated in a few public service announcements (PSA) denouncing the illegal wildlife trade (and rightfully so - IMO). Now that his views regarding legal and sustainable hunting have become public, the UK anti's are demanding his "head on a platter" (figuratively speaking of course).

The poor sod cannot make his own mind what is right and what is wrong!

He still wants to remove all ivory from Buckingham Palace!

I bet Prince Philip is not too impressed with this idiot!

Most in the UK are so far removed from countryside, wildlife etc that they simply don't understand, can't comprehend why any body hunts, let alone pays money to do so.

One word for Prince William: Rogaine

typical of people not knowing shit

Who cares what this inbred coddled freak show thinks.

quote:

Originally posted by Russ Gould:
Who cares what this inbred coddled freak show thinks.

I remember when his mother died, and they were in Scotland. I know that his Dad and his Grandfather wanted to go shoot some stags but the Queen shut it down for publicity.

Anyone in the public eye like they are can be burned at the witch trials for anything not considered to be publicly kosher.

I met his brother in Afghanistan, he sat across the lunch table from me at the chow hall. Me and all my junior enlisted Navy maintenance guys eating lunch and he sat down with a couple other helo pilots to eat.

One of my E-5's who was moderately worldly guy who was in the middle of a fairly colorful story about strip clubs in Japan. He stopped the story at a mid point and said "oh shit, it's the fucking prince". We laughed, they laughed and it got that weird kind of quiet. So we finished up our meal and headed back to the truck.

Struck me as normal military man, who has to act a certain way because his last name is "Whales".

I thought the fellow interviewing Prince William was a wanker.

Apparently, there are a few folks in the UK who feel that ole William could have been significantly undermined by his handlers since British royalty are very carefully scripted and their statements are prepared in advance. Translation - Nothing to see here folks! Please move along! Ole William is an adult man and future king of the UK (and not a victim - IMO). He is fully capable of sharing his opinion (without relying on a third party prepared statement) regarding sustainable hunting especially since he hunts, his father hunts, his grandfather hunts, etc. Damn, I just love a good conspiracy theory! Where's the popcorn?

I cannot stand people who have to take a poll before making up their minds, and consult their minders before speaking their minds.

Ridiculous.

quote:

Originally posted by Michael Robinson:
I cannot stand people who have to take a poll before making up their minds, and consult their minders before speaking their minds.

Ridiculous.

So obviously there is not one politician here in the USA that you like?

quote:

Originally posted by Michael Robinson:
I cannot stand people who have to take a poll before making up their minds, and consult their minders before speaking their minds.

Ridiculous.

You got that right Mike
It drives me nuts

How about this. Ok boss, I took a poll among my family members and it came out for me to skip work tomorrow :-)

Rather amusing watching the UK anti's ranting and raving. As a matter of fact, a spokesperson for a well known anti hunting NGO has stated "Castigated in the national and international media for his statements supporting trophy hunting, William’s credibility as a 'conservationist' now lies in ruins. I do hope that William will revise the future input of those who advised him so badly on this issue. I am convinced that William will now consider taking broader opinion on the highly complicated issue of wildlife conservation that should only be informed by scientific facts." Hmm? Informed by "scientific facts" provided by the various anti hunting NGO's including, but not limited to, Lion Aid, Born Free, IAFW, etc. or "scientific facts" provided by the world renown CITES, IUCN, WWF, European Commission, etc.? I suspect that the spokesperson was referring to the former. Personal and vicious attacks (by the future king's loyal subjects) aside, it has been a discouraging and stressful week for the UK's anti's. The European Union and Trade in Wild Fauna's Scientific Review Group (SRG) has approved importation of several legally hunted African wildlife (including both lion and elephant) and their future king (and active hunter) has publicly applauded the positive benefits associated with legal and sustainable hunting. DISCLAIMER - Please note that the above is the author's OPINION and includes applicable excerpts from various social media sites including Facebook. Also note that the author is neither a world renown conservationist nor scientist, therefore his OPINION (noted above) is based entirely on his casual observations, limited research, and basic knowledge of wildlife conservation. The author's intent should not be misconstrued to be a malicious attempt to defame either the anti hunting community or the various anti hunting NGO's that are actively engaged in efforts to ban legal and sustainable hunting throughout the world. Instead, it should be recognized as an effort (by the author) to encourage the "citizens of the world" to become proactively engaged in the ongoing debate regarding legal, ethical, and sustainable hunting. Cheers!

William gave us support. We would do well to acknowledge that.

[QUOTE]William gave us support. We would do well to acknowledge that[/QUO -- he helps why kick him

we fellow hunters are infact on the right side of physics

quote:

Originally posted by fairgame:
William gave us support. We would do well to acknowledge that.

Affirmative! We would do well to acknowledge Prince William's support.

Article published in the Independent on March 18, 2016:

***

Prince William is talking sense – trophy hunting is crucial to conservation

A few individuals legally hunted each year is a small price to pay for the transformative benefits trophy hunting brings

Well done, Prince William. He is talking sense. As hard as it is to comprehend that killing animals can be integral to their survival, the fact remains: without trophy hunting, many of Africa’s iconic species would be worse off.

In South Africa and Namibia hunting has played a role in the significant expansion of wildlife outside Parks. Limited hunting has been credited with helping to encourage the increase in southern white rhino range and numbers.

When hunting started in 1968 there were only 1,800, but today there are over 19,230 white rhino in South Africa and Namibia which annually hunt small numbers of white and black rhino, and which currently conserve 94.4% of the species. A third of white rhinos in South Africa are now conserved on private and community land outside state parks. Numbers of black rhino have also increased by 52% in these two countries (up to 3,840) since the approval of small annual hunting quotas.

The reasons for this are manifold. Healthy game populations, tourism spectacles and lodges don’t just fall out of the sky at no cost. Hunting can help generate the cash flow to help pay for protection, growing game numbers and building tourism infrastructure. Hunters also venture to the remotest areas or ones without spectacular scenery. Here closely regulated, ethical hunting can provide livelihoods and a good revenue stream – and importantly an incentive to maintain wildlife – for people living outside the tourism trail. In other words, hunting gives wildlife value for those who live in it. By contrast wildlife numbers outside parks have declined in Kenya since it banned hunting.

A South African private reserve, which can’t be named for security reasons, provides an illustrative case study, Like many reserves, it receives no government grant and its conservation efforts have to be self-funded. This reserve has been a conservation success story with strong growth in numbers of many species over the years including white rhino and elephant. Hunting of small numbers of big game have been absolutely integral to its success by contributing the most towards funding its conservation efforts. From 2000-2010, limited big game hunting contributed over three times more income than tourism to fund protection and conservation efforts.

The reserve has a policy that all proceeds from rhino hunting must be spent on rhino conservation. For example, the killing of two old white rhino in 2012 paid for 49% of a $377,000 high tech security fence upgrade along a vulnerable border. Now, when there is a breach, anti-poaching units are alerted and rapidly deployed greatly enhancing the security of rhinos in the reserve.

As the numbers who practice trophy hunting are so small, its environmental impact is actually very low compared to ecotourism, which attracts a much greater volume of people. With minimum impact and maximum revenues, it must be welcomed by those who are serious about conserving Africa’s wildlife.

Provided it is correctly regulated and conservationists are strategic about animals selected for hunts, hunting itself can directly stimulate population growth. If, for example, a dominant male is infertile, his death can allow more bulls to move in and impregnate females in the area.

Hunting isn't, however, without its problems. Often the hunting industry could do better at policing what is going on and there are unethical practices that need to be stopped such as canned hunting. In 2010 and 2011 there was also an increase in numbers of “pseudo-hunters” from Vietnam who sought white rhino hunting permits in South Africa with the intention of obtaining and exporting rhino horn to illegal markets in South East Asia. Hunting applications peaked in 2011(231), but following law changes in 2012 the problem has mostly been dealt with, and applications have returned to normal levels. In 2015, 62 white rhino and only 1 black rhino were hunted in the whole of South Africa representing less than a third of a percent of total rhino numbers in the country.

A few individuals legally hunted each year is a small price to pay for the transformative benefits that trophy hunting brings. The public may recoil at pictures of rich white men beaming beside the corpses of felled rhinos and lions. These reactions are understandable. But the welfare of entire communities and ecosystems surely trumps any queasiness grounded in sentimentality.

***

"Welcome to the new Africa - Where no good deed goes unpunished"

"The future heir to the throne was reported to have told one journalist that he would 'like to see all the ivory owned by Buckingham Palace destroyed'.

William played down the comment but said: 'I don't think ivory is particularly cool and I don't think it should be on mantel pieces and in people's houses any more.'"

Oh, dear me! The poor chap would be positively outraged at my house!