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Ask your MP to back the bill to ban imports of hunting trophies

Every year, British trophy hunters travel around the world killing animals–including threatened and endangered species like lions and elephants–for kicks, and shipping their sick souvenirs back to the UK. We have a chance to change the law to stop them.

The bill banning the import of hunting trophies is back in parliament for its next critical debate. Please show your support for this important legislation by writing to your MP urging them to attend the debate on 17 March and speak in strong support of the bill.

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Dear {contact_data~title} {contact_data~firstName} {contact_data~lastName},

On 17 March, Henry Smith MP’s Hunting Trophies (Import Prohibition) Bill has its Report Stage in parliament. I am disgusted by the cruel, damaging and outdated practice of trophy hunting. As one of your constituents I urge you to represent my views by attending the debate, showing your support for the bill and opposing any amendments which risk undermining this important legislation.

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Around the world, tens of thousands of animals are killed each year purely for fun so someone can take a photo, cut off a body part and bring it home as a souvenir or trophy. Trophy hunters seek out the largest, strongest and rarest animals for bragging rights and to win awards given out by the industry that supports them.

Since trophy hunting rose to prominence in the colonial era, there have been catastrophic declines in populations of some of the world’s most magnificent animals including elephants, lions, rhinos, giraffe and many more. Many of these species are under increasing pressure from manmade threats including loss of habitat, climate change, poaching and the illegal wildlife trade. Yet, despite these dwindling numbers and increasing threats, trophy hunting continues legally in many countries.

Proponents of trophy hunting try to portray it as economically important to support conservation work, or beneficial to local communities. However, studies have demonstrated that trophy hunting can contribute to declines in populations and the so-called “conservation” benefits have failed to materialise along with the purported benefits to local people. Trophy hunting has also been used as cover for the illegal wildlife trade and the canned hunting of lions in Africa has led to the rise of the trade in lion bones.

The UK has a right to decide what can be legally brought into the country and the overwhelming majority of the British public support a ban on the import of hunting trophies. Equally important is the vocal opposition to trophy hunting in countries where these hunts are prevalent, for example, in South Africa, 68% of the public opposes trophy hunting. We owe it to the world’s wildlife, and the communities who live alongside these animals, to ensure sustainable and humane conservation efforts that are not tainted with blood money.

I hope you will represent my views next week in the Report Stage debate and ensure the ban passes through parliament so that we can end UK involvement in this grotesque industry.

For more information about the damaging effects of trophy hunting, please read Humane Society International/UK’s briefing for the debate on 17 March here: https://www.politicshome.com/members/profile/humane-society-international-uk/our-work-trophy-hunting and contact them at info@hsiuk.org with any questions.

Sincerely,

{user_data~First Name} {user_data~Last Name}
{user_data~Address 1}
{user_data~City} {user_data~Postal Code}

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