Hunters Have 48 Hours to Stop Germany EU Proposal

NRAHLF.org just confirmed that Germany has proposed severe restrictions on the importation of hunting trophies of non-threatened CITIES species into the European Union (Annex B species). According to Safari Club International (SCI), the European Union (EU) will discuss Germany’s proposal on Wednesday and Thursday, June 21 and 22. If adopted, EU hunters will be required to obtain import permits for the importation of Annex B species into all EU countries. Translation: EU countries will have the authority to ban the importation of these species simply by refusing to issue permits.

SCI’s Anna Seidman, SCI Director of Litigation, said SCI is calling upon its international members “to contact their respective national ministries and authorities and request that they oppose Germany’s proposal to introduce mandatory import permits for the import into the EU of all hunting trophies of Annex B species under Council Regulation (EC) No 338/97.”

EU hunters can use the following link to contact both their national Management Authority and Scientific Authority: https://cites.org/eng/resources/links.php. In addition, EU hunters should contact their national ministry in charge of CITIES and sport hunting imports. Hunters who need help finding contact details can email Johan Svalby, SCI senior advisor, at [email protected].

Specifically, discussions will take place in Brussels, Belgium, at the meeting of the EU Scientific Review Group on June 21 and the meeting of the Group of Experts of the Competent CITES Management Authorities on June 22.

CALL TO ACTION: American hunters must alert their European hunting colleagues today. Forward this story link and advise them to act now as discussions begin in a mere 48 hours.

Note that Germany’s proposal is center stage despite the International Union for Conservation of Nature's (IUCN) April 2016 report, "Informing Decisions on Trophy Hunting," prepared for the European Parliament showcasing trophy hunting's indisputable positive impacts on conservation and animal welfare. Yet anti-hunting decision-makers still attempt to restrict the importation of hunting trophies into the EU. As noted by NRAHLF.org contributor Phil Phillips who covered the report, it cites in-depth research confirming what most hunters already know: Trophy hunting is the most effective way to save wildlife populations.