Iceland: Trophy hunters kill 100 puffins per hunting trip

According to animal welfare activists, trophy hunters on hunting trips to Iceland kill up to 100 puffins at a time, even as efforts are made to protect the endangered bird .

Puffins are among the most beloved birds in the world. People travel across the globe to photograph them. Now trophy hunters also appear to be travelling the world to shoot them. Eight Icelandic bird species were added to the endangered species list in 2015, including the puffin — the popular clown of the seas. Iceland is one of the largest breeding grounds in the world, yet recent figures show that the puffin population in Iceland has declined sharply within a decade. Since 2018, Iceland's beloved puffins have been officially classified as endangered. Despite warnings, hunting of puffins has not been stopped — quite the contrary. The more endangered an animal is, the more trophy hunters will pay to shoot one.hunting

Killing, injuring or capturing puffins and their nests is already prohibited by law in England, but the iconic birds are not yet protected in Iceland.

On websites advertising the trips, images show hobby hunters in camouflage clothing holding rifles, grinning stupidly as they stand beside dozens of blood-smeared puffin carcasses.

Just how cruel trophy hunters can be is made clear by the hunting of puffins. In England, animal welfare advocates are now seeking a ban on the import of trophies and launched a petition following the publication of the disturbing images: Stop the Trophy Hunting of Puffins

Populations of the popular seabirds are declining across their habitats, with numbers in Iceland falling by approximately 1.5 million in recent years.

Since 2015, the birds have been classified as “vulnerable” by the International Union for Conservation of Nature, meaning they face a high risk of extinction in the wild.

Eduardo Gonçalves of the Campaign to Ban Trophy Hunting said: «The puffin is now endangered and uncontrolled hunting has been identified as one of the main causes.»

«An immediate moratorium should be imposed before it is too late.»

«I personally find the whole practice abhorrent. I simply do not believe in trophy hunting for any species. I don’t think there is any justification for it.»

«I believe there is far more tourism to be generated through conservation than through killing puffins.»

Tory MPs, including Henry Smith, have also championed the campaign.

«We have seen an enormous decline in puffins, particularly along the west coast, and it is deeply troubling to see a beloved bird being killed as a trophy in Iceland», said Mr Smith to a newspaper.