US lifts ban on hunting trophies from Zimbabwe


The United States of America has lifted its ban on hunting trophies from Zimbabwe, allowing the country to resume exports later this year, the environment minister said today.

On April 4, 2014, the US Fish and Wildlife Service announced an interim suspension of imports of sport-hunted African elephant trophies hunted in Zimbabwe, which it later extended to 2015 and “indefinitely into the future,” because the government’s measures to protect the animals did not enhance the survival of the species.

The decision was challenged by the US Safari Club and the powerful National Rifle Association but a US District Court upheld the ban.

Environment, Water and Climate Minister Oppah Muchinguri- Kashiri said that according to the provisions of the waiver, Zimbabwe would start exporting the outstanding trophies in the second quarter of 2017.

“All the trophies which were being held in the country will be exported this year but under strict conditions. We have been given an opportunity to export again into the US,” she said.

The US ban preceded the controversial killing of the hugely popular Cecil, a 13-year-old male lion which lived in Zimbabwe’s Hwange National Park, by Walter Palmer, a US trophy hunter in July, 2015.

The killing led to calls for tighter controls on hunting trophy imports by mainly western countries.

Zimbabwe hosts hunters from various countries including Russia, the United States, Hungary, Spain and Germany who pay to shoot animals such as lions, elephants and leopards, earning the country millions in revenue.

United States provide the bulk of the hunters and the existence of the ban has had negative effects on hunting revenue.

Bookings for the 2017 hunting season, which runs between April and November each year, are up 20 percent from the previous year’s $70 million, despite the embargo by the US.

The 2016 hunting season was depressed as most hunters stayed away due to uncertainty over proposals by some Western countries to impose stricter hunting controls on elephants and lions by mostly African countries.- The Source





Stanley Mudawarima
Safari Operators Association of Zimbabwe (SOAZ)
Mukuvusi Woodlands, Hillside Road/Glenara Ave South, Hillside, Harare, Zimbabwe
Tel/Fax:
+263 (0)4 779792 Mobile: +263 (0)775 196 373
Website:
www.soaz.net Email: soaz@mweb.co.zw
Skype:
stanley.mudawarima

Wonderful news to wake up to, though it'd sure be nice to see some announcement from USFWS.

Fantastic news!

I want to see an official statement from US,F&W before I get too excited.

Mark

While I have not seen 100% confirmation on this...if indeed it is true...thank President Trump for appointing Secretary of Interior Zinke!

Had Hillary been elected...you would be hearing about the permanent ban on lion and ele.

quote:

Originally posted by ledvm:
While I have not seen 100% confirmation on this...if indeed it is true...thank President Trump for appointing Secretary of Interior Zinke!

Had Hillary been elected...you would be hearing about the permanent ban on lion and ele.

100%

I have made some high level inquiries at the NRAHLF and SCI. They should know.

I received an out of office on vacation until 6/30 to one of my inquiries.

Just yesterday I got a news e mail from the NRA HLF. There was ZERO mention of this . If this were true, I believe they would have said something.

. . . and John Jackson sent out a note the day before yesterday with no mention of this either.

The guy I contacted at the NRAHLF has heard nothing about it.

When I read the announcement, it doesn't mention lions and elephants. It mentions hunting trophies. Makes me wonder.

Guys,

Perhaps there is "Fake News" in Zimbabwe also. Could it be?

Mark

I just got confirmation that it has NOT happened. On the encouraging side of things...they think it will and they (Conservation Force) think we are close.

quote:

Originally posted by ledvm:
While I have not seen 100% confirmation on this...if indeed it is true...thank President Trump for appointing Secretary of Interior Zinke!

Had Hillary been elected...you would be hearing about the permanent ban on lion and ele.

And let me add John Jackson and Conservation Force to that list as well.

I had this sent to me from a reliable source in Zim. Thought I'd see if anyone had heard of this on our side of pond.

"Hugely popular Cecil" ... popular with the local lionesses maybe. The rest of it may be equally flaky, but it's likely the Zim Govt just jumped the gun.

SCI, at the highest level, confirms this is not true.

Its FAKE news. Sorry folks
Arjun

This sucks!! It wasn't even April Fools.

No Change in Zimbabwe Importation Prohibition

Despite recent rumors to the contrary, the existing bans on African lion and elephant importation from Zimbabwe remain in effect. SCI received confirmation of this information yesterday from the U.S. Department of the Interior. Unfortunately, press releases and news reports coming from Zimbabwe during the last several days incorrectly reported that the U.S. position on importation of lions and elephants from Zimbabwe had changed.

In April 2014, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service imposed a ban on the importation of legally hunted elephants from Zimbabwe. SCI and the National Rifle Association sued to challenge the ban and the case continues in federal court. SCI and NRA have already seen some success from the case. The district court held that the Service illegally imposed the ban before announcing it in the Federal Register. As a result the Court held that the ban could not commence until May 12, 2014, when the agency published its formal notice. Several SCI members and others who successfully hunted elephants between April 4 and May 11, 2014, are now in the process of importing their elephants.

In January 2016, the Service adopted regulations requiring individual permits for the importation of each African lion into the U.S. Since that date, the FWS has not granted a single permit for the importation of a legally hunted lion from Zimbabwe.

Although the Department of the Interior has not lifted either the elephant or lion importation ban, SCI is optimistic that we will see changes to the status of importation from Zimbabwe in the near future. We will continue to monitor the importation situation, and will immediately alert our members to any changes.

Sitting here in Zim. We all called BS when we heard it. Who started this rumor?

How could Stanley from SOAZ issue that statement in the first place? No one from ZPHGA knew about it and he supposedly represents them
I see changes coming at this year's AGM.