Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
MPS back hunt trophy ban call
Cross-party support for ending ‘vile gratification’
A CALL to ban trophy hunters importing parts of animals they have killed was yesterday backed by MPS from all parties.
Ministers are under pressure to outlaw the practice, which was branded “gratification of the most revolting kind”.
The Mirror is campaigning to end such hunting, which has been blamed for the decline of endangered species such as elephants, lions, hippos and zebras.
Calling for MPS to support his private members’ bill, Tory Henry Smith told the Commons: “A British ban on imports of hunting trophies would help save thousands of animals that are threatened with extinction.
“It would make a strong statement to the international community
that we must act decisively to conserve our living planet.” The bill received cross-bench support, with Labour’s Ruth
Jones saying: “We know tens of thousands of animals are killed every year for fun, so that people can take photos, cut up a body part and bring it home as a souvenir. “We know that trophy hunters seek out the largest and strongest and rarest animals for bragging rights.”
Tory Sir Roger Gale delivered a scathing attack on trophy hunters, saying: “What we’re talking about is gratification of the most revolting kind that I would compare with paedophilia.
“If you’re rich enough, you can go anywhere in the world and buy anything you want – and this is just another form of vile gratification.” In 2019, we told how UK hunters were shooting animals on trips to South Africa, Namibia and Zimbabwe offered by a Somerset-based ex-gamekeeper. Among clients of Derek Stocker’s Prostalk were Brits Emily Padfield, Steve Bull and Les Baker.