Italy's largest hunting fair cancelled over species protection concerns
Italy's largest hunting fair has been cancelled over biodiversity concerns. The decision sends a clear signal against trophy hunting.
Vicenza, a city in northern Italy, will no longer host the country's largest hunting fair: the HiT Show (Hunting Individual Protection Target Sports).
The Italian Exhibition Group (IEG), which organises trade fairs and congresses throughout Italy, has announced that the hunting fair will no longer be included in its calendar in Vicenza.
In a general statement presenting the changes for this year, «ecological values» are cited as the reason for not reinstating the hunting fair.
The HiT Show is Italy's largest hunting fair. It attracts thousands of visitors every year. In addition, around 500 exhibitors showcase a wide range of weapons, hunting trophies and other accessories related to the blood sport. Also due to the presence of weapons, the hunting fair has sparked more than a few controversies.
We welcome the IEG's decision to no longer organise the HiT Show, Italy's largest hunting fair with 40’000 visitors annually and hundreds of international exhibitors.
IG Wild beim Wild
The cancellation of the HiT Show is regarded as a «severe blow» for the trophy hunting sector. Furthermore, it is a clear indication that public opinion no longer supports this practice.
According to a survey conducted, 88% of Italians oppose trophy hunting of wild animals. Trophy hunters from the European Union kill thousands of wild animals worldwide each year, including endangered or threatened species.
The environmental cost of trophy hunting
Trophy hunting is considered a threat to biodiversity, as hobby hunters frequently kill exotic species. The rarer an animal, the more prestigious its kill, making already protected or endangered animals more vulnerable to extinction.
Some factions argue, however, that trophy hunting supports conservation efforts through population control and taxable revenues. They also claim that these can be used to support environmental initiatives.
This claim is widely disputed. Experts point out that entire species are threatened with extinction through the destruction of impressive specimens. This is due to the weakening of populations, rendering them more vulnerable to the effects of the climate crisis.
Robert Knell, a researcher at Queen Mary University in London, said: «When environmental conditions change – shifts in seasonal rainfall or warmer temperatures – the risk of extinction rises dramatically, even in a healthy population of animals seemingly unaffected by trophy hunting. However, if they are killed before they can pass on their ‘good genes,’ this reduces the overall fitness and resilience of the population.»
Trophy hunters frequently target the largest and fittest specimens of a species in order to secure the most aesthetically impressive trophies.
Calls for a worldwide ban on trophy hunting
To put a stop to trophy hunting, 137 conservation and animal welfare groups launched a campaign earlier this year. They are calling for a worldwide ban on the import of hunting trophies, as if hobby hunters cannot keep souvenirs of their kills, fewer wildlife offenders will participate in hunting.
Claims that trophy hunting promotes biodiversity cannot be scientifically substantiated.
Italy has historically been a significant importer of trophies from protected species. The country imported 437 artefacts from recognized protected species between 2014 and 2020. Among these was a critically endangered black rhinoceros as a souvenir.
Events such as the Hit Show hunting exhibition provided a platform for such imports – but no longer.
