Brutal Trophy Hunting in Sweden
Legalized trophy hunting has corrupted Swedish hunting management to such an extent that the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency is actively undermining the purpose of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) by issuing export permits for all trophies in order to attract foreign hobby hunters.
From 21 August onwards, more than 500 brown bears are to be killed before their annual winter hibernation.
7’000 Predators legally killed since 2000
The trophy hunting is increasing worldwide, including in Sweden. Recreational hunting seriously endangers the survival of large predators. Nevertheless, the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) raises the quota for legal trophy hunting every year. Since the year 2000, nearly 7,000 bears, lynx, wolves and wolverines have been legally killed. In the first half of 2021 alone, permits to kill more than 720 predators had already been issued in Sweden.
The cruel and unethical trophy hunting violates the aims and objectives of the EU Habitats Directive (92/43/EEC). Sweden is blatantly abusing these strict protection laws.
Fewer than 2,900 bears in Sweden
This month, more than 500 bears are being targeted for trophy hunting across seven Swedish counties, despite the fact that 107 bears — including females and young animals — were already killed during helicopter hunts this spring. Warlike and generally illegal methods such as pursuit by snowmobile, 24-hour hunting and shooting from helicopters are sanctioned by the county administration.
In 2000, only 56 bears were permitted to be hunted, and today in 2021 that number has risen to 501. The county of Jämtland leads this year’s killing spree, with hunting permits issued for the killing of 200 bears in a single season!
«Bear hunting is the most popular form of big game hunting on the planet», writes trophy hunting campaign director and journalist Eduardo Gonçalves in his book “Killing Game, The Extinction Industry”.
Sweden leads EU countries in importing and exporting CITES-listed species between 2014 and 2018, contributing to an increase in import figures into the EU of nearly 40%.
Objections from NGOs are ignored
WWF Sweden remains silent on trophy hunting, despite having received a legacy worth more than 10 million euros in 2019 from a single benefactor, explicitly designated for the protection of Swedish predators .
Trophy hunting is absolutely cruel, absolutely unnecessary, and from a conservation perspective absolutely catastrophic. It inflicts pain and suffering on animals for no other reason than to show off some fleeting “skills”.
Jane Goodall
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