MPS revive ban on hunt ‘trophies’

A proposed ban on trophy hunting imports has moved closer to becoming law, amid claims there form risks being “racist” and a “step towards neo-colonialism”.

MPS voted 49 to zero, majority 49, to approve the revived Hunting Trophies (Import Prohibition) Bill at second reading yesterday.

The Bill, sponsored by Labour former minister John Spellar and supported by the Government, would ban the import of hunting trophies from species of conservation concern into Great Britain. But critics of the import ban have argued it ignores the concerns and conservation expertise of African countries and lacks scientific credibility. A similar Bill was blocked by a group of peer sin the last parliamentary session, despite clearing the Commons.

Mr Spellar (Warley) said there is an “overwhelming majority” of MPS and members of the public in favour of prohibiting the import of bodies of animals killed for sport. He told the Commons: “This is an issue that runs across parties, across classes, across regions.

“This is a universal view across the country that they want this country to have no part in this vile trade.”

A House of Lords briefing paper last year stated 190 hunting trophies from Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Flora and Fauna (Cites) listed species were imported into theuk in 2020.

Conservative MP Henry Smith (Crawley), who sponsored the previous Bill, said of trophy hunting: “It is not a natural practice of people in southern Africa, this is a neo-colonial import that was brought to that continent during the time of colonialisation.”

Mr Smith added: “This legislation is saying we in this country by a clear majority choose not to want to allow the importation of body parts of endangered species slaughtered and killed by hunters into Great Britain; that is the territorial extent of this bill, that is what it is designed to do.”