Swiss hobby hunters kill protected animals abroad
Killing animals for trophies is sometimes criminal, but always wrong – a barbaric practice.
Many Swiss hobby hunters go big-game hunting abroad and bring the killed animal back as a trophy.
When the animals in question are protected under the Washington Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species, a permit is required. Between 2010 and 2018, the federal authorities approved 423 such imports – including some controversial ones. For Green National Councillor Meret Schneider, trophy hunting is «a relic of the past».
«Hunting endangered species is a sign of decadence and barbarism», Schneider told Swiss Television’s Rundschau programme on 19 August 2020.
She is calling for stricter import rules for hunting trophies through a parliamentary motion. «Hunting large predators, as well as elephants, should be banned», said Schneider.
A leopard costs over 50’000 dollars
«Well-managed and regulated trophy hunting benefits species conservation», says professional hunter Stamm, by contrast. Anyone who shoots a leopard with him pays over 50’000 dollars for the privilege. Thirty to forty percent of that flows as fees to the state: «This money goes to the authority that manages the reserves in Tanzania and combats poaching», says Stamm. Speaking more specifically about his leased territory, the safari operator adds: «Without the income from hunting, there would be more poaching and also illegal logging.» This would pose an acute threat to the habitat of rare animals, says Stephan Stamm.
Meret Schneider: No more hunting of endangered species
For Green National Councillor Schneider, these are «excuses to justify hunting». Schneider says: «It is cynical to claim that hunting serves the protection of species». She is convinced that wildlife reserves could be financed more sustainably through photo tourism or donations. Stamm disputes this view: his area in Tanzania is very densely vegetated and not suitable for photo tourism.
However, a scientific study on lion hunting in Tanzania shows that legal trophy hunting — not poaching or habitat loss — is the primary factor behind the significant decline in wildlife.
Trophy hunting is not species conservation
The immense sums that hobby hunters spend on a hunting trip do not end up with the local poor population or with a national park authority, but almost exclusively in the pockets of tour operators and hunting farm owners. An economic analysis of trophy hunting in Africa reveals that just 3 percent of revenues from trophy hunts reach the local population. From an economic perspective, hunting tourism plays only a minor role in most countries. In Namibia, for example, trophy hunting contributes just 0.27 percent to gross domestic product, while nature tourism contributes 4.2 percent.
