Thread: Trump to lift ban on importing elephant trophies from Africa

Trump to lift ban on importing elephant trophies from Africa

By Chris Perez
November 16, 2017 | 12:26am

President Trump has decided to let big game hunters like his sons — Eric and Donald Jr. — import the heads of elephants into the United States, reversing an Obama-era ban from 2014.

The US Fish and Wildlife Service confirmed the move in a statement Wednesday night, saying it will begin issuing permits for elephant trophies from Zimbabwe and Zambia, even though the creatures are still listed under the Endangered Species Act.

“Legal, well-regulated sport hunting as part of a sound management program can benefit the conservation of certain species by providing incentives to local communities to conserve the species and by putting much-needed revenue back into conservation,” the statement said.

Officials in Africa reportedly announced the policy change at a wildlife forum this week hosted by the Safari Club International Foundation, which is a hunting advocacy group.

The National Rifle Association praised the FWS decision on Wednesday, saying it was long overdue.

“By lifting the import ban on lion trophies in Zimbabwe and Zambia, the Trump Administration underscored the importance of sound scientific wildlife management and regulated hunting to the survival and enhancement of game species in this country and worldwide,” explained Chris Cox, Executive Director of the NRA’s Institute for Legislative Action.

“This is a significant step forward in having hunting receive the recognition it deserves as a tool of wildlife management, which had been all but buried in the previous administration,” he said.

The elephant — which is typically hunted for its ivory and tusks — has been listed as a “threatened” species since 1978.

President Trump’s son, Donald Trump Jr., sparked widespread outrage several years ago when pictures showing him posing with a dead pachyderm surfaced on social media. One particular photo — which received most of the attention — showed him holding up the elephant’s severed tail.

Trump’s other son, Eric, has also faced criticism for his big game hunting after similar images emerged of him with a dead leopard and other creatures.

While much of Africa’s wildlife is endangered due to poachers, Savanna elephants may be the most threatened.

The population plummeted by roughly 30 percent — or 144,000 — from 2007 to 2014, according to the 2016 Great Elephant Census. It dropped 6 percent in Zimbabwe, alone.

“Reprehensible behavior by the Trump Admin,” tweeted The Elephant Project, which is a nonprofit organization dedicated to the conservation of African pachyderms.

“100 elephants a day are already killed,” the group said. “This will lead to more poaching.”

Wayne Pacelle, president and CEO of The Humane Society of the United States, also blasted the Trump administration for the policy change in a blog post — calling it “jarring.”

He specifically mentioned the widely-reported death of Cecil the lion, who was shot dead in Zimbabwe by a dentist two years ago.

“Zimbabwe’s elephant population has declined six percent since 2001 and evidence shows that poaching has increased in areas where trophy hunting is permitted,” Pacelle said. “Remember, it was Zimbabwe where Walter Palmer shot Cecil, one of the most beloved and well-studied African lions, who was lured out of a national park for the killing. Palmer paid a big fee even though it did irreparable damage to the nation’s reputation.”

Pacelle added, “Let’s be clear: elephants are on the list of threatened species; the global community has rallied to stem the ivory trade; and now, the U.S. government is giving American trophy hunters the green light to kill them…It’s time for the era of the trophy killing of Africa’s most majestic and endangered animals to come to a final close, and the United States should not be retreating from that commitment.”

https://nypost.com/2017/11/16/trump-...s-from-africa/

NO, NO, NO, NO, NO, NO, NO, NO, NO!!!

Trump to allow imports of African elephant trophies

By Timothy Cama - 11/15/17 08:48 PM EST

The Trump administration is reversing an Obama administration ban on bringing to the United States the heads of elephants killed in two African countries.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) said it has determined that hunting African elephants in Zimbabwe and Zambia “will enhance the survival of the species in the wild,” which is the standard by which officials judge whether to allow imports of parts - known as trophies - of the animals.

“Legal, well-regulated sport hunting as part of a sound management program can benefit the conservation of certain species by providing incentives to local communities to conserve the species and by putting much-needed revenue back into conservation,” an FWS spokesman said in a statement late Wednesday, after hunting group Safari Club International announced the policy.

Imports will be allowed for elephants killed between Jan. 21, 2016 and the end of 2018.

The decision, cheered by some hunting and gun rights groups, is a reversal of the policy under the Obama administration. The United States and international authorities say the African elephant is a threatened species, and the Obama administration argued that allowing trophy imports would harm the animals by encouraging killing them.

The reversal is part of a wide-ranging effort by Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke, whose department includes FWS, to promote hunting.

“Some of my best memories are hunting and fishing ​with my dad and granddad, and then later teaching my own kids to hunt and fish​. That's something I want more families to experience,” Zinke said in a September statement in which he announced that the arcade game Big Buck Hunter would be temporarily installed in the department’s headquarters.

The National Rifle Association’s lobbying arm praised the elephant trophy decision.

“By lifting the import ban on elephant trophies in Zimbabwe and Zambia the Trump Administration underscored, once again, the importance of sound scientific wildlife management and regulated hunting to the survival and enhancement of game species in this country and worldwide,” Chris Cox, executive director of the group’s Institute for Legislative Action, said in a statement.

Animal rights groups slammed the Trump administration.

“Let’s be clear: elephants are on the list of threatened species; the global community has rallied to stem the ivory trade; and now, the U.S. government is giving American trophy hunters the green light to kill them,” Wayne Pacelle, president of the Humane Society of the United States, wrote in a blog post.

“What kind of message does it send to say to the world that poor Africans who are struggling to survive cannot kill elephants in order to use or sell their parts to make a living, but that it’s just fine for rich Americans to slay the beasts for their tusks to keep as trophies?” he continued.

http://thehill.com/policy/energy-env...phant-trophies

This is wrong, wrong, wrong. I don't know what morons are telling you that killing off a species helps saves it, but it doesn't. Yes, it may provide revenue to the poor country funding the conservation areas and regulating poaching, but donations of your big money would do the same thing. If you are talking about regulated kills of sick or injured elephants that is different, but we don't know and will never know where the trophy came from because we aren't there and you can't trust these countries.

God, when the cat's away, the mice will play.

Imports will be allowed for elephants killed between Jan. 21, 2016 and the end of 2018.

So, do they store them in a warehouse or something? Oh God, this is a sickening thing, please stop it. Stop it now before any new ones are killed for export to the US.

Do hunters or people who collect these trophies understand how absolutely 100% unsexy and unattractive it is to hang these heads and trophies and animal parts in your homes and offices?? It is a total turn-off, something only creepy guys do. Political families do not want to be anywhere near something like this, it's just way too disgusting. The government intentions may be well-founded, but the other end of this in Africa can not be trusted, so you'll go down in history as having aided the extinction of one of the most remarkable creatures ever.

Elephants are so wonderful, as close to human in their thinking, memories and emotions as any mammal. Please send money to responsible persons to help preserve and grow the herds and protect them from poaching and killing. Please help to save the tigers also.

President Trump has decided to let big game hunters like his sons — Eric and Donald Jr. — import the heads of elephants into the United States, reversing an Obama-era ban from 2014.

The US Fish and Wildlife Service confirmed the move in a statement Wednesday night, saying it will begin issuing permits for elephant trophies from Zimbabwe and Zambia, even though the creatures are still listed under the Endangered Species Act.

Absolutely disgusting! Trump and his boys, who no doubt convinced him to reverse the ban, should be ashamed! I already knew Trump didn't care much for our environment, but I didn't know his lack of concern extended to our worlds threatened big game animals. If Eric and Donald Jr. want a head for their wall, tell them we have plenty of North American whitetail and mule deer.

Personally, I never shot anything my family, relatives, friends or myself didn't eat. Mostly I just bird hunt (dove & quail) these days. Never was a fan of big game trophy hunting but never begrudged those that were, assuming it was legal. However, I have a serious problem with hunting the heads of endangered animals!

The U.S. Congress should immediately place a veto proof bill on Trump's desk to prevent this travesty!

Trump's Interior Department to begin issuing elephant trophy hunting permits

by John Siciliano | Nov 15, 2017, 8:33 PM
The Trump administration is planning to begin issuing permits for elephant trophy hunting, despite the Obama administration's decision to ban elephant ivory and tusks from being imported into the U.S.

A Fish and Wildlife Service official confirmed to ABC News that it will begin issuing permits for hunters to import their elephant trophies into the U.S. from Africa. The Endangered Species Act has an exception that allows the federal agency to issue hunting permits even though the elephant is listed as a protected species. The elephant has been listed as "threatened" since 1978 under the law, according to the agency.

However, the hunters must still be able to demonstrate that the act of hunting the animals helps to conserve and increase the species' numbers, according to a Fish and Wildlife official.

Game preserves in Africa are one example of how raising an animal for hunting acts to conserve the species in the wild.

The official told ABC that its decision to begin issuing permits was based on discussions with officials in the African nations of Zimbabwe and Zambia.

At the same time, Robert Mugabe, Zimbabwe's longtime leader, was put under house arrest Tuesday evening in an apparent military takeover, where Mugabe has been placed under house arrest.

The country has suffered enormous inflation that has torn apart its economy over the last decade. Mugabe's wife Grace has reportedly fled to nearby Zambia to escape house arrest.

The Trump administration appears to like the African game preserve model as a way to help threatened species. Zimbabwe and Zambia have large elephant herds.

An Interior Department advisory council the secretary, Ryan Zinke, is setting up looks to go beyond just elephants and could allow big game hunters to import trophies for other big game animals like lions.

The creation of Zinke's International Wildlife Conservation Council was proposed last week. Once up and running, it will provide advice to the federal government on "increasing public awareness domestically regarding the conservation, wildlife law enforcement, and economic benefits that result from U.S. citizens traveling to foreign nations to engage in hunting," according to a Federal Register notice.

"Additionally, the Council shall advise the Secretary on the benefits international hunting has on foreign wildlife and habitat conservation, anti-poaching and illegal wildlife trafficking programs, and other ways in which international hunting benefits human populations in these areas," the notice read.

The deadline for public comment on the proposed council is Nov. 24. The deadline for member nominations to serve on the council is Dec. 8.

http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/tr...rticle/2640853

Game preserves in Africa are one example of how raising an animal for hunting acts to conserve the species in the wild.

Oh my God. Such cruelty of raising an elephant to be shot as a trophy is hard to imagine. What kind of sick people would want anything to do with this? Oh please, stop it. Just get the gawd damn illegal aliens out of here, cut welfare spending we waste on them, and send Africa some money to protect the elephants in the wild.

And post the names of every single one of theses "hunters" who want to import their "trophies".

This is obviously about those American dollars for Zimbabwe and Zambia.

Originally Posted by MW

Absolutely disgusting! Trump and his boys, who do doubt convinced him to reverse the ban, should be ashamed! I already knew Trump didn't care much for our environment, but I didn't know his lack of concern extended to our worlds threatened big game animals. If Eric and Donald Jr. want a head for their wall, tell them we have plenty of North American whitetail and mule deer.

Personally, I never shot anything my family, relatives, friends or myself didn't eat. Mostly I just bird hunt (dove & quail) these days. Never was a fan of big game trophy hunting but never begrudged those that were, assuming it was legal. However, I have a serious problem with hunting the heads of endangered animals!

The U.S. Congress should immediately place a veto proof bill on Trump's desk to prevent this travesty!

The first article is misleading, so I don't know if the Trump boys are involved, probably, but we don't know that for sure. Trump leaves the country for 12 days and comes home to the Roy Moore mess and now this. He can't be away this long again. Everything falls apart when he's away. I don't think he would approve of this, and his approval probably wasn't even required, but in any event, he may not know the facts until he reads it in the papers or knows and believes he's helping preserve the elephants. Trump is not a hunter, and has no interest in it at all, so something has run amok.