Hunters: ‘Overwhelming support for trophy hunting in the European Parliament’

Should the EU stop all imports of trophies from developing countries? This has been the subject of intense debates in the European Parliament for the past three months.

On 18 January a group of MEPs launched a written declaration calling for the examination on the possibility to restrict all trophy imports into the EU. An  overwhelming majority of MEPs – over 80% – rejected to support the declaration.

MEP Karl-Heinz Florenz, the president of the hunting intergroup in the EP, said MEPs believed a ban trophy hunting was not a desirable way forward for wildlife conservation. “Instead, we fully acknowledge the important positive role of local communities and European hunters in this process.” 

The hunters’ federation FACE said that trophy hunting conducted in a sustainable manner  positively contributes to the “conservation of wild populations and their habitats and also benefits society”.

“Removing the important incentives and revenue provided by legal trophy hunting would constitute a detrimental blow to conservation and cause serious declines of populations of a number of threatened or iconic species, particularly on the African continent.

“The EU now needs to focus its attention on how to best make use of trophy hunting to provide economic incentives to conserve wildlife and to effectively counter wildlife crime. Hunters and other conservationists owe a big thanks to MEPs who have not signed the written declaration.”

Nationalist MEP Roberta Metsola has called for new laws governing firearms to ensure controls but not to affect bona fide collectors, museums or enthusiasts, saying that a “common sense approach” is needed.

“Genuine collectors should not be the target in some half-baked measures to try to give the impression of action. Our focus must remain on fighting terrorism and ensuring that the illegal firearms trade is tackled. Yes, we need to ensure traceability and we must have proper controls over who purchases firearms, but let us not link our response to acts of terror with collectors. The two are distinct and require two distinct approaches,” Metsola said, adding that she has put forward amendments to that effect.

Addressing a meeting in the European Parliament today, Roberta Metsola said: “The rapporteur’s approach on this draft report is a step in the right direction. We need to move away excessive bureaucracy and not create unrealistic expectations.” 

Metsola said the draft report can be improved further, but stressed that the EU does not need to re-invent the wheel, since a number of member states already have controls on firearms, while at the same time still being balanced in their approach. “Malta is a good example. The Maltese firearms legislation could help us fine-tune the text of this proposal.”

Roberta Metsola is a member of the European Parliament Committee on the Internal Market and Consumer Protection (IMCO) and the Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs (LIBE), where the legislation is being debated.