Tag IUCN

31 Jan

THE INTERNATIONAL UNION FOR THE CONSERVATION OF NATURE PAPER DOES NOT PROVE THE BENEFITS OF TROPHY HUNTING

The EMS Foundation has analysed the IUCN document, which is typically hauled out by proponents of trophy hunting or referred to by governments who have become reluctant to ban trophy hunting imports. The analysis serves primarily to inform the British government's deliberations over whether to ban trophy imports (and what kind of ban would be appropriate). More broadly, it exposes holes in the paper's arguments and brings other evidence to bear that suggests it has not been sufficiently rigorous in its appraisal of the conservation benefits of trophy hunting. In a nutshell, it provides a contrary view to conventional wisdom in conservation circles and suggests that alternatives to trophy hunting are feasible and socio-ecologically preferable in the long run.

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4 Oct

Compatibility of Trophy Hunting as a Form of Sustainable Use with IUCN’s Objectives

The debate about the justifiability of trophy hunting ranges from stressing economic benefits at one end of the spectrum to fundamental ethical objections at the other. Supporters base their argument largely on the perceived virtue of economic benefits and advantages for conservation. The claim is that local communities financially benefit from hunting and funds raised can be directed toward conservation efforts. These claims are based on financial, empirical evidence, but the benefits appear to be nowhere near as widespread as claimed. For example, in Zimbabwe as little as 3% of the income for trophy hunting actually reaches local communities.

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