Animal welfare groups call for EU ban on hunting trophy imports

NGOs, members of the EU Parliament and experts from Africa are calling on the EU to ban the import of hunting trophies.

EU second largest importer worldwide

A new analysis of trade data shows that the European Union is the world's second largest importer of hunting trophies after the United States and imported nearly 15,000 hunting trophies from 73 internationally protected species between 2014 and 2018.

France banned the import of lion trophies in 2015 and the Netherlands banned the import of trophies from over 200 species in 2016. In Germany, two parties (the Greens and the Left) have included a trophy import ban in their party platforms.

MEPs call for a ban

««Instead of strictly regulated trophy hunting, I commit to strictly regulated photo safaris, which would be of greater benefit to species. I strongly urge the European Commission to address the issue of trophy hunting in its upcoming evaluation of the EU Action Plan against wildlife trafficking», said German MEP Manuela Ripa (Greens/EFA).

««The shocking role of European citizens in global trophy hunting should not be underestimated. Germany, Spain and Denmark account for 52% of all imported trophies», said Dr Joanna Swabe of Humane Society International/Europe.

Trophy hunting threatens species conservation

««The trophy hunting industry is plagued by corruption, with inflated quotas being set that are frequently exceeded», said Dr Mark Jones of the Born Free Foundation.

««It is time for Germany and other EU member states to act and ban the import of hunting trophies», said Daniela Freyer of Pro Wildlife.

Notes: Opinion polls show that the overwhelming majority of EU citizens (over 80%) oppose trophy hunting. Import statistics (2014–2018) include: 952 African elephants, 889 African lions, 839 African leopards, 794 hippopotamuses, 297 cheetahs, 65 polar bears, and six critically endangered black rhinoceroses.