http://lowvelder.co.za/220558/...-ban-rhino-trophies/



Australia puts a ban on rhino trophies


Mr Dries Pienaar, acting manager of permits and CITES (Convention of International Trade in Endangered Species) at MTPA, on enquiry said that Australians are responsible for a very small portion of hunting trophy exports from Mpumalanga, although the largest taxidermy facility in South Africa is located in White River

Nicolene Smalman | 5 September 2014 09:03


MBOMBELA – Australian hunters may no longer take rhino trophies back home since their country’s government has imposed a ban on their importation.
The Mpumalanga Tourism and Parks Agency (MTPA) has warned that a country that is refusing hunting trophies is supporting the demise of the species, since hunting is what pays for conservation.
In addition, Australia’s minister of the environment, Mr Greg Hunt, requested that this ban be extended to other African species, particularly lion. ABC News reported that Hunt said the Australian government didn’t believe animal trophies killed in canned hunts should be allowed into Australia. “It’s just not right at this time in history that we are allowing endangered species to be brought back as trophies into Australia. I’ve signed an order, we’re taking action – it’s going to stop.”
Mr Dries Pienaar, acting manager of permits and CITES (Convention of International Trade in Endangered Species) at MTPA, on enquiry said that Australians are responsible for a very small portion of hunting trophy exports from Mpumalanga, although the largest taxidermy facility in South Africa is located in White River.
“I doubt if one rhino has been hunted on our reserves by an Australian in the past 10 years.” Pienaar said he doesn’t support canned hunting, a practise that is currently well under control and practically non existent. “However, captive-bred lion are still being hunted legally after being released on large tracts of land in the Free State and North West provinces.
“Even though the breeding of lion is not allowed in Mpumalanga, some trophies are nevertheless being exported on behalf of other provinces. The principle here is that often countries feel they must do something to aid conservation in Africa and then impose a ban on rhino or lion trophies to enforce this.”
Pienaar explained that, as long as an animal has value, people will farm it. “A black impala ewe is currently worth the same as a rhino because of market forces (supply and demand). Rhino need large areas in which to roam and are very difficult to protect against poachers. So the normal game farmer is selling his three or four rhino because they are becoming too difficult and expensive to keep,” he explained.
“A country refusing the trophies is supporting the demise of the species, because hunting is what pays for conservation, whether we like it or not. Job losses are thus incurred and tourism is negatively impacted. This has an inevitably negative ripple effect. One also fears that other countries, especially the EU, might follow this example and thus unintentionally aid the extermination of the lion and rhino.”
Pienaar is of the opinion that a more sensible approach would be to put a ban on the hunting of authentically wild lion in Africa as these are very scarce. “The hunting of rhino for trophy should also only be allowed on properties with approved species-management plans. This will ensure that animals are not hunted without proper ecological planning and that the lion industry can proceed to produce lions for hunting by overseas clients without harming the wild populations – which are far more threatened by loss of habitat than by hunters alone.”
The Professional Hunters’ Association of South Africa (Phasa) also views the ban in a serious light, according to its CEO Ms Adri Kitshoff. Phasa has consequently raised its concerns with the department of environmental affairs (DEA). According to a Phasa newsletter, representatives of the DEA requested clarity from their Australian counterparts at the CITES standing committee on Geneva and reported that the proposed stricter measures under review by the Australian Department concerned only lion.
Phasa is in the process of compiling a letter to Hunt and has requested the DEA to provide more clarity to him on South Africa’s view on sustainable utilisation, according to Kitshoff.

Australian Gov't has been aggressively stupid in these matters for decades.