“Embracing Innovation to Conserve the World's Animal Kingdom.” Trophy Hunting Team Seacole building 2 Marsham Street London SW1P 4DF 12 December 2019 Dear Trophy Hunting Team, “Consultation on controls on the import and export of hunting trophies” and “Call for evidence on the scale and impacts of the import and export of hunting trophies” Please find International Wildlife Bond’s (IWB’s) response to the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (DEFRA) “Consultation on controls on the import and export of hunting trophies – November 2019” and “Call for evidence on the scale and impacts of the import and export of hunting trophies – November 2019.” For clarity the following answers are given to the initial consultation questions: A1. Stephen Alan Wiggins A2. [email protected] A3. International Wildlife Bond (IWB), Registered Charity No. 1164833 A4. IWB’s response is ‘not confidential’ IWB’s response to the remainder consultations questions and call for evidence are given in the attached submission (via e-mail to [email protected]). Yours sincerely, Stephen Alan Wiggins Founder of International Wildlife Bond (IWB) 1 | P a g e “Embracing Innovation to Conserve the World's Animal Kingdom.” “Consultation on controls on the import and export of hunting trophies” and “Call for evidence on the scale and impacts of the import and export of hunting trophies” Table of Contents 1 Introduction .................................................................................................................................... 6 1.1 Poorly Regulated Trophy Hunting ........................................................................................... 7 1.1.1 Pseudo Hunting ............................................................................................................... 7 1.1.2 Pseudo Trophies and Fraudulent Exploitation ................................................................ 9 1.1.3 ‘Science’ Funded by Pro-trophy Hunting Influences ....................................................... 9 1.1.4 Hunting Quotas are not Based on Independent Verifiable Science ............................. 11 1.1.5 Genetic Effects of Trophy Hunting ................................................................................ 11 1.1.6 Infanticide and Conflict ................................................................................................. 12 1.1.7 Cover-ups ...................................................................................................................... 13 2 Consultation on controls on the import and export of hunting trophies ..................................... 15 2.1 Question 5: “Is there anything you would consider to be a hunting trophy that falls outside of the definition found in CITES and the EU Wildlife Trade Regulations [WTR]?” ............................ 15 2.2 Question 6: “Is there anything that falls within the definition used in CITES and the EU Wildlife Trade Regulations that you consider should not be treated as a hunting trophy?”............ 16 2.3 Question 7: “Do you envisage any challenges or difficulties which might arise from using the definition in CITES and EU Wildlife Trade Regulations, for example, when it comes to enforcement?” .................................................................................................................................. 16 2.4 Question 8: “We set out a number of options above. We would like to understand your preferred option and the reasons for that preference” .................................................................... 18 2.4.1 1st Preference - Option three - “A ban on all hunting trophies entering or leaving the UK” 18 2.4.2 2nd Preference - Option one, “A ban on hunting trophies from certain species entering or leaving the UK“ ......................................................................................................................... 19 2.4.3 Option two - “Stricter requirements for clear benefits to conservation and local communities to be demonstrated before hunting trophies from certain species are permitted to enter or leave the UK” ................................................................................................................... 20 2.4.4 Option four - “Do nothing - continue to apply current controls based on internationally agreed rules” ................................................................................................................................. 22 2.4.5 Deontology vs. Consequentialism ................................................................................. 22 2 | P a g e “Embracing Innovation to Conserve the World's Animal Kingdom.” 2.4.6 Trophy Hunting’s Consequentialist Claims ................................................................... 23 2.4.7 Trophy Hunting is ‘Legal’ ............................................................................................... 25 2.4.8 Ethical/Moral Leadership .............................................................................................. 26 2.4.9 A Case Study – Is Trophy Hunting Moral/Ethical? ........................................................ 27 2.5 Question 9: “Options one and two introduce further restrictions for certain species. Which species do you think these further restrictions should apply to?“ .................................................... 30 2.5.1 Why not Annex A or B of the EU Wildlife Trade Regulations? ...................................... 30 2.6 Question 10: “Do you think there should be different restrictions on hunting trophies imported and exported to and from countries within the EU, compared with countries outside of the EU?” ............................................................................................................................................ 32 2.7 Question 11: “Do you have additional information or evidence on:” a. “Potential impacts of increased restrictions as set out in options one to three?” ............................................................... 32 2.8 Question 11: “Do you have additional information or evidence on:” b. “Potential barriers to implementation for options one to three?” ...................................................................................... 33 2.9 Question 12: “In options one, two and three, do you think there should be different restrictions on hunting trophies obtained from; wild animals, captive bred animals, or animals involved in canned hunting?” ............................................................................................................ 33 2.9.1 Wild Animals ................................................................................................................. 35 2.9.2 Captive Bred Animals .................................................................................................... 38 2.9.3 Canned/Captive lions .................................................................................................... 39 2.9.4 Canned/Captive Rhino .................................................................................................. 49 2.9.5 Captive Game Bird Breeding ......................................................................................... 52 2.10 Question 13: “For options one, two and three, do you think there should be any exemptions considered? Please state your reasons why” .................................................................................... 54 2.11 Question 14: “Do you agree with our proposed enforcement regime?” .............................. 54 3 Call for evidence on the scale and impacts of the import and export of hunting trophies .......... 55 3.1 Question 5: “Please provide any evidence you have on the impacts on species conservation and the natural environment of the import and export of hunting trophies to and from the UK“ .. 55 3.2 Question 6: “Are there greater impacts from the import and export of hunting trophies to and from the UK on some species over others?” .............................................................................. 57 3.3 Question 7: “Please provide evidence of the number of hunting trophies entering and leaving the UK, which species these are derived from and which animal parts they consist of or are made from (e.g. head, paws, skin)“ .................................................................................................. 58 3 | P a g e “Embracing Innovation to Conserve the World's Animal Kingdom.” 3.4 Question 8: “Please provide any evidence to assist our understanding of the number of companies which are supported by the movement of hunting trophies between the UK and other countries” .......................................................................................................................................... 66 3.5 Question 9: “Would UK businesses be impacted by stricter controls on the import and export of hunting trophies and, if so, how?” .................................................................................... 67 3.6 Question 10: “We are interested in finding out more about other countries’ restrictions on trade, import or export of hunting trophies, or domestic restrictions on the practice of trophy hunting itself“.................................................................................................................................... 69 3.6.1 Australia ........................................................................................................................ 69 3.6.2 China