Members of Parliament from multiple parties are pressing ministers to fulfill Labour's 2024 manifesto pledge to outlaw importing parts of animals killed for sport. Although Environment Minister Jenny Riddell-Carpenter confirmed the government intends to pass a bill during this Parliament, she declined to provide a concrete date. Meanwhile, some lawmakers suspect the delay is linked to warnings from US Interior Secretary Doug Burgum regarding conservation impacts. Opponents note that roughly 79% of trophies imported between 2015 and 2021 came from areas with stable or abundant wildlife populations.
Key points
Environment Minister Jenny Riddell-Carpenter reaffirmed the government's pledge to introd…: Environment Minister Jenny Riddell-Carpenter reaffirmed the government's pledge to introduce a ban when parliamentary scheduling permits.
Southern African community leaders argue that revenues from regulated hunting directly su…: Southern African community leaders argue that revenues from regulated hunting directly support local anti-poaching operations and wildlife rangers.
Lawmakers suspect US pressure may be contributing to the ongoing delays in setting a firm…: Lawmakers suspect US pressure may be contributing to the ongoing delays in setting a firm legislative timetable.
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- Published
The government has been accused of dragging its feet on its manifesto promise to ban the import of hunting trophies.
Labour pledged at the 2024 general election to outlaw bringing the parts of animals killed by hunters for sport, such as heads or horns, into the UK.
But it has so far failed to bring a bill enacting the ban to Parliament, and in the two years since the election more than 40 import permits have been granted for hunting trophies.
Speaking during a debate on the subject, Environment Minister Jenny Riddell-Carpenter insisted the government was still committed to a ban and a bill would be delivered "when parliamentary time allows".
Labour MP Clive Efford, who had proposed Wednesday's Westminster Hall debate, said the minister's promise "really is not good enough".
"Who is the government afraid of?" he asked, arguing that only a "tiny minority of people" opposed the ban.
He continued: "This issue has been debated widely, over a great many years; there is not much more that we can learn from either side of the argument…
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