Can hunt tourists help save wildlife?
GRAHAM BOYNTON’S article The Cruellest Irony (Mail) was a breath of fresh air in the toxic anti-hunting debate. As a hunter and conservationist – most of us are both – it has been frustrating to see the campaign against trophy hunting. Hunting bans are detrimental to wildlife, habitat and local livelihoods. The anti-hunting campaign ignores the voices of independent scientists, conservation professionals and African community leaders. The truth is no species is threatened by regulated trophy hunting. But it seems practical nature conservation results are not as important as the emotions of animal rights campaigners, celebrities and politicians. The discussion is about their feelings over the perceived moral standards of hunters, not about saving habitats, ecosystems and species. The views of conservation scientists, African nature authorities and the affected communities are ignored or dismissed. Hunting tourism often is an efficient tool in the nature conservation toolbox. The International Union for Conservation of Nature, the World Wildlife Fund and many other conservation bodies without ties to the hunting industry support that claim. Even Sir David Attenborough has referred to trophy hunters in the empire era as pioneer conservationists. It is time for a fact-based debate and everyone needs to get their priorities straight. The question we must ask campaigners is: do you hate hunters more than you love wildlife?
JENS ULRIK HOGH, Nordic Safari Club, Sweden.
THE claim that trophy hunting helps conservation is preposterous. True conservationists work to keep animals alive. Hunters slaughter wildlife for cheap thrills, targeting the largest, strongest animals, knowing this can devastate family groups. As for the argument these cruel activities help local economies, the hunting industry ignores the fact non-lethal wildlife photography safaris bring in much more revenue than trophy hunting. The independent Economists At Large group studied tourism revenue in several African nations to determine if animals are worth more to them alive or dead. They found trophy hunting revenue was only 1.8 per cent of tourism revenues. Most of the money trophy hunters spend goes to the outfits they hire, not the local economy. Tourism for photography creates stable, well-paying jobs, puts money into local economies and provides the incentive to protect threatened species. Targeted animals ask for nothing out of life but the chance to live it. Yet they endure an often prolonged and painful death at the hands of hunters before their body parts are boxed up and mounted on walls as trophies. Boris Johnson can take a stand against the senseless killing by finally bringing forward the promised legislation to ban these imports into Britain. Until then, our country will remain complicit in the slaughter of elephants, lions and other magnificent species.