Source: US relaxes ban on Zim jumbo trophies | Newsday (News)

The United States Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) has announced that it
will now consider all permits for importing elephant trophies from African
nations on a “case-by-case basis”.

BY Staff Reporter

The development breaks from President Donald Trump’s earlier promises to
maintain a Barack Obama-era ban on the practice.

In a memorandum issued on Thursday, FWS said it will withdraw its 2017
Endangered Species Act (ESA) findings for trophies of African elephants
from Zimbabwe and Zambia, effective immediately.

“The findings were no longer effective for making individual permit
determinations for imports of sport-hunted African elephant trophies,” the
memo said.

The service also announced it was withdrawing a number of previous ESA
findings, which dated back to 1995, related to trophies of African
elephants, bontebok and lions from multiple African countries.

The decision to withdraw the FWS findings followed a DC Circuit Court
decision in December that found fault with the initial Obama-era rule,
which banned importing elephant hunting trophies from Zimbabwe.

This came at a time when there was a general decline of Big Cats across
Africa, some of which is attributed to sport hunting and human
encroachment.

World Animal Protection wildlife campaign manager, Edith Kabesiime said
trophy hunting caused immense and needless suffering for animals, and
spurs further demand for wildlife products.

“There is no justification for the cruel exploitation of wild animals like
elephants and lions in the name of entertainment,” she said.

“We are very concerned that despite earlier statements from President
Trump to the contrary, the US Fish and Wildlife Service will now consider
the importation of elephant trophies from Zimbabwe and Zambia on a
case-by-case basis, effectively overturning the previous ban. We strongly
urge the Trump administration not to allow such imports.

“Endangered elephants and lions are under constant threat, with the United
States the world’s second-largest market for illegal wildlife products. We
must be a consistent global leader in keeping animals safe in the wild –
not cruelly targeted and killed for their parts.”

The post US relaxes ban on Zim jumbo trophies appeared first on NewsDay Zimbabwe.