Big game hunters can help wildlife
WHAT is most important to Michael Gove, who wants to stamp out big game hunting (Mail)? Nature conservation or moral superiority? I am a hunter and I enjoy it. Of course, I use the meat and participate in local game management. Hunters are very much aware that sustainability and nature conservation are conditions of the hunt and a consequence of the monetary value put on wildlife. We are willing to pay for opportunities to hunt, which gives an income to landowners and local communities. If the potential income from managing wildlife for hunting is better than livestock farming, there is a clear incentive to protect wildlife and its habitat. In Namibia and South Africa, there are more than 10,000 privately owned nature reserves providing a natural habitat for 25 million large, wild animals. They are mostly old cattle farms that have been rewilded. Before, there were fewer than two million animals in these areas. Should hunting become impossible, land-owners will be forced to go back to farming to pay their bills. In that case, millions of wild animals will be wiped out to make room for livestock. Habitats supporting thousands of wild species — from plants and insects to large mammals — will become semi-barren. Hunting tourism is a method of nature conservation with a proven track record. It has boosted wildlife populations and saved from extinction numerous species, including white rhino, black wildebeest and ibex. Kenya lost most of its large, wild animals outside its national parks when it banned big game hunting in 1977 because wildlife lost its value to local communities and ended up in the poachers’ pots. I hope Mr Gove doesn’t sell out wildlife for a moment of popularity.
JENS ULRIK HOGH, Nordic Safari Club, Vinslov, Sweden. MICHAEL GOVE is correct in his condemnation of big game hunters. The killing of any wild animal in the 21st century is an act of madness. Abusing and mistreating animals diminishes us as civilised beings. We are just one species on this planet and are part of nature, not apart from it. As Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, Mr Gove can bring these vile acts of cruelty to an end.
DAVID HARVEY, Chippenham, Wilts. I AM glad Michael Gove wants an end to hunting. Closing down puppy farms, a ban on wild animals in circuses and an increase in sentences for those who abuse animals are all long overdue. The maximum sentence for animal cruelty is just six months. If you don’t think animals are important, you should realise that those who treat animals badly often do the same to people. M. TUCKER, Eastbourne, E. Sussex.