By The Sunday Times (Letters)
Sir,
Killing animals for “trophies” is indefensible and cruel. We welcome the government’s proposal to ban trophy imports and exports, and urge it to implement a comprehensive ban as quickly as possible and to work with other governments to end trophy hunting. The species targeted by trophy hunters are social, emotional, intelligent beings. Killing them to acquire personal memorabilia goes against civilised values.
Trophy hunting has had devastating impacts on wildlife. Hunters aim for the biggest animals, resulting in “artificial selection”. The industry rewards those who have killed the most animals. Fees rarely benefit local communities.
Britain can help to close this chapter in our history: trophy hunting has no place in the modern world. Policymakers should work with scientists, conservationists and communities to support economic development that preserves our natural heritage.
Signed:
Eduardo Goncalves, founder, Campaign to Ban Trophy Hunting; the Right Rev John Arnold, environment lead, Roman Catholic Church of England and Wales; Sir Tim Berners-Lee, OM, FRS; Dame Jane Goodall, founder, the Jane Goodall Institute and UN Messenger of Peace; David Gower; Stanley Johnson; Marc Abraham, founder, PupAid; Damian Aspinall, conservationist; Sonul Badiani-Hamment, External Affairs Advisor, World Animal Protection; Bill Bailey; Dr Liv Baker, Research Director, Mahouts Elephant Foundation, USA and Director, Institute for Compassionate Conservation, USA; Claire Bass MSc, Executive Director, Humane Society International UK; Dr Chelsea Batavia, Department of Forest Ecosystems and Society, Oregon State University; Dr Marc Bekoff, Professor Emeritus of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Colorado; Dr Dror Ben-Ami, Co-founder, Centre for Compassionate Conservation (Australia); Prof Fred Bercovitch, Comparative Wildlife Scientist, USA; Dr Sofia Bernstein, Primatologist, Western Washington University; John Bishop; Jacob Blaustein, Institute for Desert Research, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev; Bob Blizzard, Lord Commissioner of the Treasury, 2008-2010; Dr GA Bradshaw, Founder, The Kerulos Centre for Nonviolence; Anne Brummer, CEO, Save Me Trust; Brian da Cal, Country Director, Four Paws UK; Nicky Campbell; Megan Carr, Director, Global March Against Elephant and Rhino Poaching; Giles Clark, Director of Cats and Conservation, The Big Cat Sanctuary; Dr. Orr Comay, Tel Aviv University; Jeremy Cooper, former CEO, RSPCA; Prof John Cooper QC; Lizaene Cornwall, Founder and Managing Director, Panthera Africa; Raquel Filomena Pereira Costa, PhD candidate, Primate Research Institute, Kyoto University; Ros Coward, author and journalist; Heather Craig, President, Global March for Elephants & Rhinos; Annette Crosbie; Adam Cruise, author, Conservation Action Trust (South Africa); Dr Anne Innis Dagg, Giraffe Scientist, University of Waterloo; Dame Judi Dench, CH; Jenny Desmond, co-Founder, Liberia Chimpanzee Rescue & Protection, member of Liberia’s Law Enforcement and Wildlife Crime Task Forces; Jim Desmond, co-Founder, Liberia Chimpanzee Rescue & Protection, member of Liberia’s Law Enforcement and Wildlife Crime Task Forces; Nomusa Dube, Founder, Zimbabwe Elephant Foundation; Fran Duthie, President, Elephanatics; Peter Egan; Bob Elliot, Director, OneKind; Dr William A. H. Ellis, Koala Scientist, University of Queensland; Sir Ranulph Fiennes; Dr Melanie Flynn, Senior Lecturer in Criminology, University of Huddersfield; Daniela Freyer, co-Founder, Pro Wildlife; Dr. Ron Frumkin, D.Phil., Ecologist; Liam Gallagher; Dr Marion Garai, Trustee, Elephant Reintegration Trust; Dr Cecile Garcia, CNRS Researcher, Musée de l’Homme; Jeroen Gerlag; Ricky Gervais; Ben Goldsmith; Nick Grimshaw; Dr Ross Harvey, economist; Heike Henderson, Future for Elephants; Iris Ho, Senior Wildlife Specialist, Humane Society International (USA); Dr Michael Huffman, Associate Professor of Primatology, Kyoto University; Sir Simon Hughes, Chancellor, London South Bank University and former UK Minister of State for Justice; Isobel Hutchinson, Director, Animal Aid; Dr. Amiyaal Ilany, Senior Lecturer, Faculty of Life Sciences, Bar-Ilan University and Member, IUCN Afrotheria Specialist Group; Sir David Jason; Jean-Paul Jeanrenaud, WWF-UK, WWF-International (1990-2016); Kira Johnson, MSc, Conservation Biologist and Executive Director, Voices for Biodiversity, USA; Mark Jones, Head of Policy, Born Free Foundation; Morten Jørgensen, author; Dr. Paula Kahumbu OGW, CEO, WildlifeDirect (Kenya); Dr Pieter Kat, co-Founder, LionAid; Lorraine Kelly; Dr. Dan H. Kerem, President, The Recanati Institute for Maritime Studies, University of Haifa; Matthew J. Kessler, DVM; Catherine Khalil MSc Wildlife Biology Conservation, co-Founder Dolphins Go-Free; Prof Andrew Knight, Professor of Animal Welfare and Ethics and Founding Director, Centre for Animal Welfare, University of Winchester; Dr Helen Kopnina, The Hague University of Applied Sciences; Prof. Lee Koren, The Mina and Everard Goodman Faculty of Life Sciences, Bar-Ilan University; Prof. Carmi Korine, Mitrani Department of Desert Ecology; Jean Claude Kwizera, National Director of Human Nature Projects, Burundi; Carrie LeBlanc, Executive Director, CompassionWorks International; Jan Leeming; Prof. Yossi Leshem, Senior Researcher, Department of Zoology, Tel Aviv University; Ole J Liodden, author; Gabby Logan MBE; Kenny Logan; Ann Lomuto, Board of Directors, LVDI International; Cindy Lucas, DVM; Joanna Lumley; Dr Michelle L. Lute, Wildlife Biologist and Conservationist, USA; Dr Andrew Macintosh, Associate Professor of Conservation Biology, Primate Research Institute, Kyoto University; Christine MacSween, co-Founder, LionAid; Dr Yael Mandelik, Department of Entomology, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem; Dr Brian May; Davina McCall; Ian McLintock, founder, Charity Excellence Framework; Dr Renata Mendoca, Ethologist; Chris Mercer, Director, Campaign Against Canned Hunting (South Africa); Vicki Michelle; Siobhan Mitchell, Director, Campaign to Ban Trophy Hunting; Dr. Mucha Mkono, DECRA Fellow; Charlie Moores, War on Wildlife; Penny Morgan, author; Dr Luca Morino, Curator, Paris Zoo; Donny Moss, TheirTurn.net; Maria Mossman, Founder, Action for Elephants; Himani Nautiyal, PhD candidate, Primate Research Institute, Kyoto University; Ingrid Newkirk, Founder, PETA; Paul Newman; Lesley Nicol; Gary Numan; Paul Oxton, Founder and Director, Wild Heart Wildlife Foundation; Chris Packham; Linda Park, Director, Voice 4 Lions; Asgar Pathan, Executive Director, Care for the Wild (Kenya); Dr Paula Pebsworth, Adjunct Fellow, National Institute of Advanced Studies (India); Dr John A. Phillips, President, LVDI International; Michele Pickover, Director, EMS Foundation; Kevin Pietersen; Corinne Pisacane, MS, Pharmaceutical Biologist; Sir Jonathon Porritt; Christine Price; Dr Dan Ramp, Associate Professor, Centre for Compassionate Conservation, University of Technology, Sydney; Mark Randall, Retired Senior Police Detective and Specialist in International Animal Investigations; Ian Redmond, Ambassador, UNEP Convention on Migratory Species and Chairman, Ape Alliance; Alison Reid, film-maker; Melanie Reiner, Managing Director, Animals United e.V.; Lord Rennard; Dan Richardson; Julian Richer LVO; Jill Robinson MBE, Dr med vet hc, Hon LLD, Founder & CEO, Animals Asia Foundation; Dr. Itai Roffman, Lecturer & Researcher, Dept. of Sociology & Anthropology, The Max Stern Yezreel Valley College, Israel; Prof Don Ross, School of Economics, University of Cape Town; Carol Royle; Caroline Ruane, CEO, Naturewatch Foundation; Richard Sain, entrepreneur; Tanya Sanerib , International Legal Director and Senior Attorney, Center for Biological Diversity (USA); Dr Cecile Sarabian, Postdoctoral Fellow, Kyoto University; Allan Schwartz, attorney; Dr Boaz Shacham, Herpetological Collection Manager National Natural History Collections, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem; Peter Shilton OBE; Dr Florian Sicks, Curator of Mammals, Tierpark Berlin; John Stephenson, CEO, Stop Ivory; Anneka Svenska, wildlife presenter; Dr Rafaela S. C. Takeshita, Assistant Professor of Anthropology, Kent State University; Dr Chia L. Tan, Vice-President, LVDI International; Liza Tarbuck; Janet Thomas; Founder & CEO, Animal Aid Abroad; Thomas Töpfer, Chairman, Rettet die Elefanten Afrikas e.V.; Steve Travis, President, Protecting African Lions; Carol Vorderman MBE; Dr Louise de Waal, Founder, Green Girls in Africa; Dr Arian Wallach, Lecturer, Centre for Compassionate Conservation, University of Technology, Sydney; Jack Whitehall; Stephen A Wiggins, Founder, International Wildlife Bond; Claudia Winkleman; Dr. Eva Yashphe MD, MA, Tel Aviv Medical Center; Dr. Shira Yashphe, Illegal Wildlife Trade Specialist YoMoNi – Wildlife Conservation Consultancy; Professor Avishag Zahavi, ARO, The Vulcani Institute; Lesley Zimic; Paul Zimic, film-maker; Tozie Zokufa, Chair, Coalition of African Animal Welfare
https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/5224d80a-33d2-11ea-b8ef-1301adfca080
