The Telegraph says that anti-hunting organizations are taking advantage of a new report criticizing the dubious conservation claims of trophy hunting to try and kick out pro-hunting groups from the most prestigious conservation body on earth.
A report published on the website of the International Union for Conservation of Nature, the Swiss-based association that produces the globally recognised list of endangered species, said that “trophy hunting is not consistent with ‘sustainable use'” of wildlife resources and countries and organisations that advocate it should be denied membership of the 71-year-old body.
This is the opening they need, they say, to get pro-hunting groups out of IUCN…
“We’re going to call for pro-hunting groups to have their IUCN membership removed, as one of the report’s conclusions is that supporting trophy hunting is not compatible with IUCN membership. This includes avowed trophy hunting industry lobby groups such as Dallas Safari Club and ‘Conservation Force’,” said Eduardo Gonclaves of the Campaign Against Trophy Hunting.
This is only the latest sign we’ve seen of important resistance to the argument always made (even by some environmentally savvy publications) that trophy hunting is a necessary evil to preserve endangered species in poor countries.
Is it a trend? It’s hard to tell at this point.
