The Trump administration has lifted an import ban that will allow Americans to bring African lion and elephant body parts as hunting trophies back to the United States. Even though President Trump has called big game hunting “a horror show” after he announced that the ban will not be lifted in November 2017.
The decision to lift the ban was announced quietly in a memorandum by the US Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) on March 1. This will allow hunters to apply for permits to import trophies which would be reviewed by the agency on a “case by case basis”. Controversial organizations such as Safari Club International and the National Rifle Association have been lobbying in favor of lifting the ban.
Sadly the U.S. Department of the Interior (which oversees the FWS) has also allowed the following:
- Expanded hunting opportunities at ten national wildlife refuges
- Increased hunting access to more public as well as private lands
- Reversed an order that would have banned the use of lead ammunition and tackle on national wildlife refuges
African wildlife is already in massive decline and so-called conservation activities such as trophy hunting are only worsening the situation. We ask Interior Secretary Bernhardt and to ban trophy hunting imports and focus on more responsible and sustainable wildlife conservation activities.
Please send our letter to Secretary Bernhardt today!