Issue Type: Wildlife

Wildlife

The African elephant population has declined 60% over the last 50 years

Humane Society International

Waldo Swiegers/AP Images for HSI

WASHINGTON—Today, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced a final rule governing import permits for live African elephants and elephant hunting trophies. This action effectively bans elephant hunting trophy imports from certain countries that serve as major destinations for trophy hunters—a win for the conservation of the species listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act.

“Today’s announcement serves as a victory for the animal welfare and conservation movement, as this is precisely what the Endangered Species Act was designed to accomplish. The U.S. government should not be in the business of promoting the decline of a species, especially one classified as threatened under its own law,” said Kitty Block, president and CEO of the Humane Society of the United States. “Elephants are complex, family-centered animals, important within their ecosystems and cherished by people all over the world. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s move is a meaningful step toward saving African elephants from extinction.”

Since the Fish and Wildlife Service classified African elephants as threatened in 1978, their global population has decreased by at least 60% due to poaching, habitat loss and other compounding threats. Trophy hunting and the capture of live wild elephants for exhibition in U.S. zoos contribute to this decline through direct removals of individuals and ripple effects negatively impacting the overall health and survival of family groups.

“For decades the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has been allowing African elephant imports without current population data, transparency or effective oversight,” said Sara Amundson, president of Humane Society Legislative Fund. “With African elephants’ rapid global population decline and the abrupt reversals in federal protections between administrations, this new revision to the regulation will help the agency make decisions that enhance the survival of the species in the wild, instead of incentivizing its decline. Considering how the U.S. is one of the world’s worst offenders in the elephant hunting trophy trade, we thank U.S. Secretary of the Interior Secretary Haaland and the Fish and Wildlife Service for taking these steps to protect endangered and threatened species.”

The new revision clarifies guidelines for granting import permits. It also strengthens the agency’s oversight capacity and the transparency of the permit application process. The U.S. imports more hunting trophies than any other country in the world, accounting for 75% of global hunting trophy imports and almost 25% of global elephant hunting trophy imports between 2014 and 2018. The revised rule heightens the criteria required for the Fish and Wildlife Service to authorize imports, including from South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia—the top exporters of elephant hunting trophies to the U.S.—making it harder for trophy hunters to import their hunting spoils and for captive wildlife facilities such as zoos bring animals taken from the wild into the U.S. for exhibition.

“The agency’s new rule is a strong step in the right direction to finally gain transparency and oversight on this highly politicized and harmful trade in African elephants killed for fun and gruesome souvenirs,” said Jeff Flocken, president of Humane Society International. “We will continue to fight for a full ban on the trade in African elephant hunting trophies, and we hope this sets a precedent that can be applied to other countries and to other imperiled species, like lions, giraffes and leopards.”

Under the Obama administration in 2014, the Fish and Wildlife Service issued rules suspending the importation of elephant trophies from Tanzania and Zimbabwe into the U.S. In 2018, the Fish and Wildlife Service under the Trump administration withdrew that rule and began to allow the import of elephant trophies on a case-by-case basis, although former President Donald Trump tweeted about the trophy hunting aspect of the rule, saying he was “very hard pressed to change [his] mind that this horror show in any way helps conservation of elephants or any other animal.” Now, the Biden administration has heightened the criteria for what imports are allowed into the U.S.

In January, Belgium’s parliament voted unanimously to prohibit the import of hunting trophies from many endangered species into the country. This comes after the Netherlands instituted a ban on the import of hunting trophies for more than 200 species and France implemented a ban on the import of lion hunting trophies in 2015.

Photos and videos available upon request.

ENDS

Media contact: Kate Sarna: 202-836-1265; ksarna@hslf.org

Humane Society International / Africa

Waldo Swiegers/AP Images for Humane Society International Not the elephant referenced. This mature elephant bull is seen during an afternoon game drive on Wednesday, March 21, 2018 at the Makalali Game Reserve, South Africa.

CAPE TOWN, South Africa—It has been reported that another “super tusker” elephant bull, from the Amboseli elephant population, has been shot and killed in the Enduimet Wildlife Management Area in Tanzania. The killing took place during a hunting expedition operated by Kilombero North Safaris and allegedly involved a prominent American trophy hunter from Texas. A statement revealed that ”as of 10 March, a further three licenses are said to have been granted raising alarm and putting the integrity of the Amboseli elephant population in jeopardy”.

This is reportedly the third “super tusker” gunned down near the Tanzanian-Kenyan border within the past six months. “Super tuskers,” also known as “hundred-pounder” elephants, are male elephants with at least one tusk weighing 100 pounds (45kg). It is believed that there are as few as 50 left in Africa. They are critically important for stability in elephant societies and their habitats and ecosystems.

Dr Audrey Delsink, elephant behaviour expert and wildlife director for Humane Society International/Africa, says, “It is beyond comprehension that yet another of Africa’s iconic ‘super tuskers’ has fallen victim to the relentless pursuit of trophy hunters. The intrinsic value that these bulls bring to elephant society through their genetics, as repositories of social knowledge and as keystones of the environment, is irreplaceable. Mature bulls are crucial influencers within the population, holding significant importance for the future of younger males.”

“It is a myth that they are expendable as they approach 40+ years of age. This is not the end of their breeding lives but rather when they are at their highest reproductive success, and they should not be senselessly cut down in their prime. The killing of these iconic animals isn’t just a biological travesty but a moral tragedy and a stain on humanity’s conscience,” Delsink explained.

ElephantVoices, Big Life Foundation and the Amboseli Trust for Elephants, released a statement appealing for “an end to elephant trophy hunting in the Enduimet Area of Tanzania”.  “The Amboseli population includes adult males with some of the largest tusks on the continent due to the particular genetic makeup of these elephants,” the statement reads. “Approximately 30 adult male elephants, over the age of 25 years, use the Enduimet area and beyond in Tanzania as part of their home range. For half a century Enduimet has been a favourite area for a particular set of adult males.”

Elephants are listed under Appendix II of the Convention on Migratory Species, to which both Kenya and Tanzania are parties. The listing encourages collaboration between countries to achieve conservation and management targets for listed species. Since 1995 a moratorium on trophy hunting of this cross-border elephant population between Kenya and Tanzania was agreed between the nations. After nearly 30 years, this moratorium was shattered when two “super tuskers” were killed south of the border in Tanzania, prior to this third killing.

Studies have found that with age, male elephants dedicate more of their energy toward reproducing. Mature bull elephants like these “super tuskers” will travel twice as fast and three times as far when they are in musth—the periodic state of intensive testosterone-fuelled sexual activity. Thus, the “conscious selection” of older “surplus” males being targeted by hunters has detrimental effects on the wider elephant society and can lead to a population collapse or long-lasting negative population changes. The biased removal of these older Amboseli bulls through trophy hunting poses a massive threat to these migratory animals.

Mature elephant bulls also act as role models for younger males. The killing of dominant elephant bulls results in the loss of vital social knowledge and experience from which these younger animals learn. Without leadership, the young bulls may navigate into risky environments and become more aggressive, resulting in physical interactions and associated injuries, and even increased human-wildlife conflict.

Dr Joyce Poole, co-founder and Scientific Director of ElephantVoices, says, “Fifty years of research on Amboseli’s known individuals has shown that males between 35 and 55 years of age are the primary breeders. Hunters who claim that older males are “dead wood” are just plain ignorant of the science. Males who are given the chance to live to an old age produce a disproportionate number of offspring, passing their genes to the next generation. By killing large tusked males hunters are damaging elephant society, negatively impacting Amboseli’s rare gene pool for large tusks and taking a toll on its future tourism potential.”

After a hunt, it is common for parts of the elephant to be taken and claimed as trophies. It is alleged that in this instance, the elephant’s carcass was intentionally destroyed through burning, to hide the travesty of making this bull yet another statistic in the ever-declining, already fragile “super tusker” elephant population.

ENDS

Media contact: Leozette Roode, HSI/Africa media and communications specialist, +27 (0)71 360 1104

Humane Society International / Canada

Wolf in the snow
Marco Arduino/Alamy Stock Photo

OTTAWA, Ontario—Wolf Awareness, WeHowl, Animal Justice, the International Fund for Animal Welfare, Humane Society International/Canada and Animal Alliance of Canada are applauding a decision by Health Canada’s Pest Management Regulatory Agency to cease the use of the poison strychnine for killing wild animals, including wolves, coyotes and black bears. 

The decision to cancel the registration of products containing this dangerous poison follows years of advocacy and campaigning, including a request for special review of strychnine and other predacides filed by a coalition of groups in December 2020. Today’s decision reverses the PMRA’s initial proposal in August 2022 to allow the continued use of both strychnine and Compound 1080. That proposed decision was widely condemned by animal protection and conservation groups because of the cruel nature of these indiscriminate poisons and the serious harm that they cause to the environment.   

Strychnine is notorious for causing some of the most agonizing symptoms of any poison, including muscular convulsions that can last up to 24 hours or longer before an animal finally succumbs to exhaustion or suffocation. Due to its gruesome nature, it featured prominently in Agatha Christie murder mystery novels. 

In addition to the unnecessary pain the poison inflicts on its intended targets, it is known to recklessly kill hundreds of non-target animals each year, including companion dogs, birds of prey and endangered species. These animals suffer and die after consuming poison baits or from consuming the bodies of other poisoned animals. 

“This decision is a huge victory for wild animals across Canada,” said Kaitlyn Mitchell, director of legal advocacy with Animal Justice. “Strychnine is among the most gruesome poisons in existence. We are thrilled that animals will no longer endure the agony of strychnine poisoning on the Canadian landscape.”    

“Strychnine not only kills the intended wolves, coyotes, black bears and skunks,” said Hannah Barron, conservation director with Wolf Awareness. “It also kills countless other animals unintentionally, including golden eagles, lynx, ravens, grizzly bears and companion dogs, to name a few. Getting rid of this indiscriminate poison gets Canada one step closer to meeting its biodiversity targets under the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework.”  

“There is a growing body of scientific evidence showing that lethal removal of large carnivores, including through poisoning, is not an effective way to reduce predation on livestock,” said Sadie Parr, organizer of WeHowl. “There are more effective ways to prevent conflicts, which are also more ethical and environmentally responsible. Many Canadians are already using such methods with success.” 

“Canada’s use of strychnine to kill wildlife is an issue that attracted the attention of hundreds of thousands of concerned citizens in Canada and beyond. We are thrilled that Health Canada has reversed their previous decision, and finally canceled all uses of strychnine” said Sheryl Fink, director of Canadian wildlife issues with IFAW.  

“I want to thank the Minister of Health and the folks at the Pest Management Regulatory Agency for banning the use of strychnine in Canada,” said Liz White, director of Animal Alliance of Canada. “No longer will this predacide be spread on the landscape indiscriminately killing wolves, coyotes and many other wild animals.” 

“We are thrilled with Health Canada’s decision to ban this deplorable poison, which has no place in wildlife management,” said Kelly Butler, wildlife campaign manager at Humane Society International/Canada. “This ban will spare so many animals from horrific, prolonged and needless deaths and we commend the government for taking this step towards improving welfare outcomes for wildlife and removing poisons from Canada’s ecosystems.” 

While the animal protection and environmental groups are relieved following PMRA’s decision to end the use of strychnine by September, it remains urgent for the PMRA to also ban Compound 1080, another poison also used to kill wolves and coyotes. It causes vomiting, convulsions, intense pain and hallucinations to animals who ingest it, and is unacceptably cruel. 

Similar to strychnine, the effects of Compound 1080 can last hours or even days before an animal dies from cardiac failure or respiratory arrest. 

According to a national Environics poll commissioned by Wolf Awareness, Animal Alliance and Animal Justice, 69% of Canadians say that the risks posed by strychnine and Compound 1080 used in Canadian wildlife management programs are unacceptable. 

-30- 

Media Contacts: 

 

Sadie Parr 

Wolf researcher/advocate and Organizer of WeHowl 

sadieparrwolfpact@gmail.com 

250-272-4695 

 

Hannah Barron 

Conservation Director, Wolf Awareness 

hannah@wolfawareness.org 

647-567-8337 

 

Kaitlyn Mitchell 

Director of Legal Advocacy, Animal Justice 

kmitchell@animaljustice.ca 

647-764-8702 

 

Sheryl Fink 

Director, Canadian Wildlife Campaigns. IFAW Canada 

sifnk@ifaw.org 

519-830-0046 

 

Kelly Butler 

Wildlife Campaign Manager, Humane Society International/Canada 

kbutler@hsi.org 

514 914-7607 

Humane Society International / Europe

Mark Von Holden/AP Images for the HSUS

BRUSSELS— Today, the European Parliament approved the revised Environment Crime Directive, strengthening the EU’s approach to addressing environmental crime. This decision, endorsing the compromise agreement reached between the Council of the European Union and the European Commission in November 2023, marks a significant step towards better protecting wildlife and habitats. The updated legislation equips authorities with enhanced tools to tackle serious environmental offenses and deter criminals, including wildlife traffickers. Humane Society International/Europe welcomes the European Parliament’s adoption of the revised Environment Crime Directive as a positive step to ensure better protection of wildlife and the environment.

Environmental crime stands as the third most lucrative organised criminal activities in the world, growing at a rate of  . It contributes significantly to biodiversity loss, increases the risk of zoonotic diseases, and has serious negative socio-economic impacts, particularly in countries where animals and wildlife products are sourced. Despite its considerable profitability, detecting, prosecuting and penalizing environmental crime offenses has proven to be  challenging.

A 2019-2020 evaluation revealed that the effectiveness of the initial EU Directive (2008) addressing environmental protection via criminal law was limited. Few cases resulted in sentences, imposed sanctions were too low to deter criminals, and cross-border cooperation was not consistently occurring. Recognising these shortcomings, the European Commission presented in 2021 a proposal aimed at enhancing the effectiveness of the Directive.

Dr Joanna Swabe, senior director of public affairs for Humane Society International/Europe, said:

“The revised Environmental Crime Directive, although not perfect, does respond to societal demands for environmental crime to be taken more seriously. The legislation will now allow more stringent penalties to be imposed on those who commit the most serious criminal offences against the environment, and will hopefully serve as a deterrent to all those considering partaking in crimes against animals, such as wildlife trafficking. We also warmly welcome the fact that underwater noise pollution has been included in the list of criminal offences. This poses a significant threat to the welfare of marine mammals, especially cetaceans, since it disrupts their ability to communicate and navigate properly. We are glad that this threat to marine wildlife has been recognised.”

Over the past few years, HSI/Europe has worked closely with other animal and environmental protection organisations to ensure that the EU legislation on environmental crime, which was originally passed in 2008, was significantly strengthened. Amongst other things, the revised Environmental Crime Directive now:

  • Introduces common sanction levels for both natural and legal persons.
  • Provides a far more comprehensive list of environmental offences to be criminalised in Member States than in the original legislation, although fails to include one the most lucrative environmental crimes, namely illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing.
  • Includes Annex C species of the EU Wildlife Trade Regulations, thereby broadening the scope of the Directive to cover, for example, threatened endemic species.
  • Offers additional tools for national prosecutors through legal guidance and national strategies.
  • While stopping short of using the term ecocide, it introduces a “qualified offence” for the most serious environmental crimes, which cause widespread and substantial damage to the environment that could be irreversible or long-lasting.
  • Enables the involvement of civil society organisations and ordinary citizens to help combat environmental offenses, effectively asserting their legitimacy in exposing environmental crimes and marking a first step toward protecting them from intimidation or litigation when reporting such crimes or assisting investigations.
  • Strengthens data collection provisions to assist Member States’ reporting practices.
  • Recognises the need for enhanced specialisation, training and resources for competent enforcement and judicial authorities.

Media contact: Yavor Gechev, communications director for HSI/Europe, ygechev@hsi.org ; +359889468098 ; +393515266629

Humane Society International / Africa

HSUS A hunter posing with a zebra he shot at a captive hunting ranch in South Africa.

CAPE TOWN, South Africa—The United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child has called on the South African government to “protect children from the vicarious effects of exposure to violence inflicted on animals such as during Trophy Hunting.” The announcement, on 8 February 2024, follows a periodic review of children’s rights in South Africa. Humane Society International welcomes the Committee’s recognition of trophy hunting as a violent and harmful activity—not just towards animals but also towards children.

Last year the UN formally recognised and defined the right of children to freedom from all forms of violence, including exposure to violence inflicted on animals. On 24 January 2024, during the UNCRC’s considerations of the periodic reports submitted by the South African Government, Dr Rinchen Chophal, vice chair of the UNCRC commented: “Various psychological studies on violence and animal abuse have shown that witnessing or participating in the violence can severely impact children’s moral and psychological development, besides normalising violence and conditioning life-long negative behavioural patterns. The popular and social acceptance of child participation in animal trophy hunting in the country (South Africa) is horrendous to say the least. Can the State Party enlighten us whether you will, as a matter of urgency, criminalise this practice?”

The UNCRC recorded that: “South Africa took note of the concerns about the effects that trophy hunting could have on children participating in them. South Africa was committed to holding roundtable discussions to address this matter.”

Research shows that witnessing animal abuse is a form of psychological abuse in children. Trophy hunting represents one of many forms of violence towards animals that could cause trauma. Around the world children, especially those from low-income communities, often encounter instances of domestic abuse towards pets, the violent slaughtering of conscious farmed animals, and the cruel extermination of animals considered to be “pests” or that pose a potential health risk to humans, including mice, rats and street dogs. Other activities perpetrating violence against animals include game hunting, culling, poaching, wing shooting and dogfighting, all of which pose harmful exposure to children. With the passage of UN General Comment 26 last year, children now have the right to be protected against witnessing any violence inflicted on any animal, and the South African government has been called on to demonstrate how it will ensure this right.

Dr Matthew Schurch, wildlife specialist for Humane Society International/Africa, stated: “Trophy hunting is cruel and violent to animals and deeply harmful to the children who witness it. The Committee’s statement is a critical starting point to address the wide spectrum of animal cruelty that children in South Africa—and around the world—are exposed to. Promoting compassion and respect towards all animals helps to foster children’s emotional and social skills. Ending exposure to animal cruelty can help prevent the development and normalisation of violent behaviours, towards the animals and also towards people. We look forward to the South African government demonstrating how we will ensure the rights of our children to be protected from all forms of violence towards animals.”

ENDS

Media contact: Leozette Roode, media specialist, HSI/Africa:+27 71 360 1104; LRoode@hsi.org

Animal organizations unite to see Max Mara go fur-free

Humane Society International / United Kingdom

Mink on a fur farm
Jo-Anne McArthur/Andrew-Skowron/We Animals Media

LONDON—Ahead of Fashion Weeks in New York, London, Milan and Paris, the largest ever global anti-fur consumer campaign has been launched to urge fashion house Max Mara to go fur-free. The campaign is headed by animal charities Humane Society International, the Humane Society of the United States and the Fur Free Alliance comprising organizations in more than 35 countries. Campaigners are asking their millions of supporters and compassionate citizens from the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, South Korea, the European Union and the United States to target Max Mara’s phone lines, email and social media urging the design house to drop fur because it is cruel, out-dated and has no place in a modern society.    

Max Mara, which has 2,500+ stores in 105 countries―of which 39 are in the United States― is one of the last major fur users and its current range includes items made of fox, raccoon dog and mink fur. Max Mara fur products include fox fur cuffs, a mink trimmed hood, a fox fur trimmed hood, mink mittens and a raccoon dog fur charm, and product labels show the company uses mink fur from China plus fox and raccoon dog fur from Finland. 

Max Mara’s use of fur is increasingly out of mode considering that most of the world’s major fashion-houses have already gone fur-free, including Dolce & Gabbana, Saint Laurent, Valentino, Prada, Gucci, Versace, Alexander McQueen, Balenciaga and Jimmy Choo. Many other designers and retailers have long-standing policies against using fur, including Hugo Boss, Armani, Tommy Hilfiger, Stella McCartney and Vivienne Westwood.  

PJ Smith, director of fashion policy at Humane Society International and the Humane Society of the United States, said: “Max Mara is one of the last global fashion brands that continues to support the vile fur trade, despite clear evidence that the fur industry is cruel, bad for the environment and a risk to public health. By doing so, Max Mara is increasingly isolated in a world where the vast majority of consumers find fur obscene. We hope that Max Mara stops being an apologist for the fur trade and instead decides to strike a pose for compassionate fashion by going fur-free.”

Mink, fox and raccoon dogs―all species used by Max Mara―are bred to die on fur factory farms where they spend their entire lives in cramped, barren cages, deprived of the ability to engage in natural behaviors, only to be crudely gassed or anally electrocuted and then skinned.  

Fur production is also environmentally devastating and a risk to public health. Peer-reviewed research by carbon footprint experts Foodsteps and commissioned by HSI shows that, when compared to other materials, per kilogram fur has the highest greenhouse gas emissions, with the carbon footprint of 1kg of mink fur 31 times higher than that of cotton and 25 times higher than polyester. Fur factory farms are also breeding grounds for zoonotic diseases like COVID-19 and avian influenza, with hundreds of confirmed outbreaks on fur farms across Europe and North America in the last several years. All this while quality, animal-friendly alternative fabrics, such as KOBA® Fur Free Fur which incorporates plant based and recycled ingredients, are readily available and sold by Max Mara’s competitors.  

The most recent and largest ever undercover investigation of fur farms was conducted in six EU countries―including Finland, the country from which Max Mara sources its fox and raccoon dog fur. During summer and autumn 2023, investigators made more than 100 visits to fur farms resulting in shocking photo and video evidence. Mink, foxes and raccoon dogs were shown in horrifying conditions in which incidences of cannibalism were documented. Animals on the farms were also shown injured, diseased, with some either dead or dying. Some had missing limbs, tails or ears and/or had serious eye infections, wounds infested with maggots and disturbing instances of self-mutilation. 

Max Mara’s headquarters can be contacted about their use of fur via HSI’s action page at hsi.org/furfreemaxmara as well as via Max Mara’s social media channels: X, Facebook, and Instagram.

Fur facts:

Tens of millions of animals suffer and die each year in the global fur trade. The majority of the animals killed for fur are reared in barren battery cages on fur farms.   

Mink on more than 480 fur farms across 13 countries have been found infected with COVID-19, and fur farms in Spain and Finland have had outbreaks of highly pathogenic avian influenza (H5N1). The potential for zoonotic disease spread on fur farms has been acknowledged by the World Health Organization and leading virologists have recently warned governments to “consider the mounting evidence suggesting fur farming be eliminated in the interest of pandemic preparedness.” 

Fur farming has been banned in 20 European countries including the 15 Member States of Austria, Belgium, Croatia, Czech Republic, Estonia, France, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Slovakia and Slovenia and five other European nations of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Norway, United Kingdom, North Macedonia and Serbia. Additionally, Switzerland and Germany have strict welfare regulations which have effectively ended fur farming.   

In the United States, there are fur sales bans in the state of California and in the following 14 towns or cities: Los Angeles, San Francisco, Berkeley and West Hollywood in California; Lexington, Cambridge, Plymouth, Brookline, Weston and Wellesley in Massachusetts; the borough of Etna in Pennsylvania, and the cities of Ann Arbor in Michigan; Boulder, Colorado; Hallandale Beach, Florida. Israel became the first country to ban fur sales in 2021. 

Download video/photos of Finnish fur farms here

Media contact:  Wendy Higgins, director of international media: whiggins@hsi.org

Landmark decision will increase protection of elephants, lions, rhinos and other iconic species

Humane Society International / Europe

Britta Jaschinski, co-founder of Photographers Against Wildlife Crime

BRUSSELS—In a momentous triumph for wildlife conservation and animal welfare, Belgium’s Parliament sealed a landmark decision today by voting unanimously in favour of the Minister of Climate, the Environment, Sustainable Development and Green Deal, Zakia Khattabi’s bill prohibiting the import of hunting trophies from endangered species into the country. This historic move, following nearly two years since the Parliament’s initial call for such a ban, will protect revered species such as lions and rhinos.

The vote, endorsed in the Belgian Chamber of Representatives unanimously, echoes the 91% of Belgians standing against trophy hunting and the 88% supporting a ban on the importation of any hunting trophy, according to a 2020 Ipsos survey commissioned by Humane Society International/Europe.

Before the ban, Belgium imported trophies of species vulnerable to extinction such as hippopotamus, cheetahs and polar bears. The new law will stop the import of hunting trophies from many species currently at risk of extinction due to trade or that could be threatened unless trade is limited. All species listed in Annex A of the European Regulation 338/97 on the protection of species of wild fauna and flora, such as jaguars, cheetahs, leopards, some brown bears, Cape mountain zebra and chimpanzees, and African elephants will be protected by the new bill, along with certain species in Annex B of the same regulation, including African lions, Southern white rhinos, hippos and argali sheep, also listed in Annex XIII to Regulation (EC) No 865/2006 regulating the trade of protected wild flora and fauna. The new law surpasses the 2022 Parliament resolution, by extending protection to more species from Annex B than the initial six initially covered by the resolution.

Minister of Climate, the Environment, Sustainable Development and Green Deal, Zakia Khattabi says: “With the approval of my legislative project this Thursday in plenary, the Parliament is providing a legal basis to the resolution it unanimously adopted on 24 March 2022. It was urgent and necessary to protect these threatened and endangered species!”

Member of Parliament Kris Verduyckt (Vooruit, Flemish Socialists), who initiated the legislative proposal to ban hunting trophy imports, said: “Our country is finally banning the import of hunting trophies of endangered animals. The protection of these species is incompatible with trophy hunting imports. I am delighted that my legislative proposal is now enshrined in our legislation and I hope that it will serve as a source of inspiration for many other countries.”

Having championed this cause for years and collaborated closely with Belgian MPs to garner parliamentary support, Humane Society International/Europe applauds the adoption of this crucial legislation, which brings to a successful outcome a complicated legislative process. The animal protection charity has worked with MPs to secure an import ban for over two years, resulting at first in a unanimously supported parliamentary resolution in 2022 that became a legislative proposal approved by the Federal government’s Council of Ministers in July 2023.

“The Belgian Parliament made history today for animals and is illustrating its continued and principled stand against the senseless killing of endangered wildlife,” said Ruud Tombrock, executive director of HSI/Europe. “With this decision, Belgium positions itself as a leader in protecting biodiversity and endangered species. We believe other European countries are also ready to follow suit and take a strong stance against trophy hunting by banning imports of such souvenirs. The time is now for an EU-wide ban on the import of hunting trophies from endangered and protected species, reflecting the views of citizens across Member States in the European Union who share a commitment to being cautious and protective of animals and biodiversity, as well as preventing the fragmentation of the EU Single Market.”

The ban in Belgium sends a positive signal in support of the adoption of a similar ban in neighbouring France, where a cross-party Assembly bill proposal to ban the import of hunting trophies of protected species is currently under parliamentary session. That ban was proposed by Ecologist MP Sandra Regol with the support of Renaissance MP Corinne Vignon, chair of the Assembly’s Study Group on the Condition and Welfare of Animals.

Before its implementation, the adopted Belgian legislation needs to receive royal sanction and promulgation. The text will then be published in the ‘Moniteur Belge,’ coming into force on the day specified within the text, or if unspecified, 10 days after publication.

Download pictures of hunting trophies and campaign materials against trophy hunting here.

Background:

  • Trophy hunting of endangered species poses a severe threat to conservation and the world’s natural heritage. Trophy hunters prefer to kill the largest, most physically impressive animals, whose loss can cause cascade declines in populations. Many of the targeted species, such as African elephants, rhinoceros and leopards, are facing the risk of extinction and play crucial roles in maintaining healthy ecosystems and biodiversity.
  • According to an HSI/EU report, the EU is the second largest importer of hunting trophies after the United States, with an average of 3.000 trophies imported in the period between 2014 and 2018. The EU was also the largest importer of cheetah trophies with 297 cheetah trophies imported into the EU between 2014 and 2018. The top five species imported into the EU as trophies: Hartmann’s mountain zebra (3.119), Chacma baboon (1.751), American black bear (1.415), brown bear (1.056) and the African elephant (952),
  • Belgium is the 13th largest hunting trophy importer of internationally protected species in Europe.
  • In May 2016, the Netherlands instituted a ban on the import of hunting trophies for more than 200 species listed under Annex A of European Regulation 338/97 on the protection of species of wild fauna and flora by regulating trade therein and of species in danger of extinction. The import ban also applies to the following Annex B species: white rhinoceros, hippopotamus, mouflon (wild sheep from the Caucasus), lion and polar bear. A total of 200 animal species are affected by the import licenses ban.
  • France implemented a ban on the import of lion-hunting trophies in 2015. In 2023, a Bill proposal for registration, aimed at “stopping the issuance of import permits for hunting trophies of certain endangered species” was tabled.
  • The import of hunting trophies into Finland was restricted in June 2023. The new Nature Conservation Act includes a provision that prohibits the import of individual animals or their parts from the most endangered species worldwide which are threatened by international trade as trophies from countries outside the EU.
  • In Germany, the Minister of the Environment, Steffi Lemke (The Greens), announced that she intends to restrict the import of hunting trophies from protected animal species. Germany terminated the Country’s membership in the International Council for Game and Wildlife Conservation, a pro-trophy hunting lobby, in 2022.
  • In Italy in 2022, a bill aimed at banning the import, export and re-export to and from Italy of hunting trophies obtained from animals that are protected by CITES (the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species) was presented. After the fall of the government and the elections in 2022, the same bill was tabled again in Parliament.

ENDS

Media contact: Cassie Bodin-Duval,  international media relations coordinator at Humane Society International/Europe, cbodinduval@hsi.org; +32 469 149 469

Humane Society International / Canada

Prevent animals from suffering needlessly for human entertainment

Humane Society International / Europe

HSI

BRUSSELS—Today the European Commission has announced that it will be taking steps to reduce legal protections for wolves in the EU. To achieve this, they will propose the downgrading of the wolf’s protection status under the Bern Convention. At present, wolves are listed under Appendix II, which means they require special protection. However, if Parties to the Bern Convention agree to this proposal, the species will be downlisted to Appendix III. While still protected, the “exploitation” of the species could still be regulated in accordance with the Convention. This would open the door to more wolves being killed in the EU and the potential amendment of the EU Habitats Directive.

Humane Society International/Europe condemns the Commission’s alarming attempts to downgrade legal protections for wolves in the EU. Despite the remarkable resurgence of this species as a conservation success, the leadership of the Commission, instead of upholding its commitment to biodiversity protection, appears to be yielding to pressure from farming and hunting lobbies advocating for increased wolf killings. HSI/Europe is also concerned about the process that led to the current decision.

Dr Joanna Swabe, senior director of public affairs for HSI/Europe, says: “This decision of the European Commission is deeply troubling, as it is driven more by political convenience than scientific evidence and stems from an opaque and irregular consultation process relying on anecdotal submissions.”

HSI/Europe, in collaborating with other animal and environmental protection organisations, has consistently communicated its profound concerns to President Ursula  von der Leyen regarding the alarming trajectory of large carnivore protection.

Dr Swabe emphasizes: “If President von der Leyen believes that she is currying favour with rural voters with such decisions ahead of the EU elections, she should think twice. A recent survey conducted among rural communities in 10 Member States found that a significant majority are keen to see legal protections for wolves upheld and priority given to their conservation. Rather than trying to destroy legal protections for these large carnivores, the Commission should be working harder to promote the uptake of coexistence measures in Member States, since opportunities to implement mitigation measures are being underutilised despite the fact that farmers can receive 100% remuneration for taking non-lethal action to protect their animals.”

Facts
  • The Council of Europe’s Convention on the Conservation of European Wildlife and Natural Habitats, known more commonly as the Bern Convention,is a legal instrument in the field of nature conservation, covering most of Europe and extending to some states of Africa.
  • On 4th September 2023, the Commission issued a press release claiming that the concentration of wolf packs in the EU has become a danger for farm animals and potentially for humans. This statement was misleading and not based on science. It also announced the collection of data on “challenges related to the return of wolves” for an 18-day period.
  • HSI/Europe and other NGOs consequently wrote to President von der Leyen raising concerns that this public ‘consultation’ violated the Commission’s own rules with regard to Better Regulation, and challenging its necessity given the data generated by the recent Fitness Check of the Nature Directives, as well as from Member States reporting under the requirements of the Habitats Directive, including in relation to the existing derogations concerning large carnivores.
  • A survey conducted by Savanta in November 2023 among a sample of 10,000 inhabitants of rural areas in 10 Member States (Germany, France, Spain, Netherlands, Italy, Belgium, Poland, Denmark, Sweden and Romania) found that many rural inhabitants are supportive of protecting wolves and other large carnivores, with 68% stating that they should be strictly protected and over two-thirds (72%) agreeing that they have a right to co-exist.
  • The farming and hunting lobby have consistently been pushing for the protection status of wolves to be downgraded. Yet the Savanta survey found that a very low proportion of respondents indicated that they feel well-represented by hunting (12%) and farming (18%) interest groups.
  • Wolves are listed in the Annexes of the EU Habitats Directive as either a strictly protected or protected species, depending on the population in question. Hunting permits to kill them can only be granted under exceptional circumstances.
  • The Habitats Directive authorises Member States to use derogations to allow management control provided there is “no satisfactory alternative and the derogation is not harmful to the maintenance of the populations of the species concerned.” These exceptions are meant to stop “serious damage” to livestock and crops, protect the public’s health and safety or for research and education. However, research indicates that while in theory hunting may be allowed in very narrow circumstances, in reality it would be very difficult to do so in a way that complies with all criteria of the Directive, and questionable whether it could comply with the precondition that no satisfactory alternatives exist.
  • The Commission recently published a detailed Guidance Document to provide clarification to Member States on how this derogation can be applied.
  • The EU’s LIFE programme has already funded numerous projects to help effectively mitigate human-large carnivore conflicts.
  • State Aid provisions compensate farmers with 100% financial remuneration for losses suffered and costs incurred by predator attacks, but also offer 100% reimbursement for the mitigation measures implemented. The primary issue is that farmers are not always aware of their entitlement to such funds, and Member States are slow in compensating them for their losses.

ENDS

Media contact: Yavor Gechev, communications director for HSI/Europe: ygechev@hsi.org ; +359889468098 ; +393515266629

Heavily watered-down animal welfare package also disappoints with weak animal transport proposal

Humane Society International / Europe

Jo-Anne McArthur

BRUSSELS—Animal protection group Humane Society International/Europe has called “inexcusable” the European Commission’s failure today to recommend an EU-wide fur farming ban in response to the 1.5 million signature-strong European Citizens’ Initiative petition. Despite overwhelming evidence that animal suffering is endemic within fur farming, the European Commission failed to urgently end the suffering of 10 million foxes, raccoon dogs, mink and chinchillas killed on EU fur farms each year and instead delayed until 2026 any decision on proposing a ban. HSI/Europe says that the Commission’s failure to deliver a ban condemns millions of sentient animals to lives not worth living on the EU’s remaining fur farms.

The Commission’s Communication states the European Food Safety Authority will provide its scientific opinion on the welfare of animals on fur farms by March 2025, followed by an evaluation which the Commission pledged to present by March 2026 to say whether they will deliver an EU-wide ban on fur farming and on the sale of fur taken from mink, foxes, raccoon dogs, and chinchillas. Given that the mandate of the current Commission is due to end in late 2024, there is no guarantee that their successors will make good on this promise.

Dr Joanna Swabe, senior director of public affairs for Humane Society International/Europe, noted: “The plans announced today show a European Commission that is out of touch with public opinion and expectations for stronger laws to stop animals suffering. Millions of European citizens recognise that keeping huge numbers of wild animals on fur factory farms is grossly inhumane, and leading virologists warn that fur farms present a very real pandemic disease risk. So, it is deeply frustrating and worrying that the Commission is side-stepping its responsibility for decisive action to end the outdated and unnecessary fur trade. Irrespective of fur industry claims about welfare, each and every fur farm investigation in recent times consistently shows chronically stressed animals living under appalling conditions. Stereotypical behaviours, self-mutilation, untreated wounds and even cannibalism are tragically common horrors on European fur farms. The Commission’s failure to deliver a ban today is inexcusable and condemns millions of sentient animals to lives not worth living on the EU’s remaining fur farms.”

The announcement about the Fur Free Europe ECI was made alongside the publication of the Commission’s highly watered-down Animal Welfare Package. The only proposals that the Commission has delivered today are to revise Regulation (EC) No 1/2005 on the protection of animals during transport and related operations, and a new Regulation on the welfare of dogs and cats and their traceability. Alone, these proposals fall short of the commitments made in the Farm to Fork Strategy and the Commission’s promise to the 1.4 million European citizens backing the ‘End the Cage Age’ European Citizen’s Initiative

Ruud Tombrock, executive director of HSI/Europe, commented: “While the proposal on animal transport contains some progressive elements, it ignores EFSA’s scientific recommendations about making sure no animal is transported in frigidtemperatures below 5°C and suffocating heat exceeding30°C. Derogations would still allow vulnerable and young animals, such as calves not yet weaned from their mother’s milk to be transported for long durations byroad. Absurdly, when these unweaned animals are transported by sea, as it often happens with calves exported from Ireland to mainland Europe, the time travelled by sea does not count as journey time. There is also no ban on live exports to non-EU countries, which has been long demanded by animal protection NGOs. The failure to address these issues is evidence that industry interests have prevailed over science and ethics, and that despite this legislative revision, it will be business as usual for operators to the detriment of animal welfare. Member States and Members of the European Parliament during the next political term must commit to strengthening this proposal to give animals the protection that they deserve.”

Facts on fur farming
  • The Commission’s communication on the Fur Free Europe ECI acknowledges that fur farming poses a risk to public health and that it is relevant to the EU’s One Health policy of protecting animals, humans and the environment. To these ends, it commits to conducting three on-site visits to fur farms to assess the disease control mechanisms in place, as well as looking into animal welfare on the selected farms.
  • The risk to native biodiversity posed by fur farms is also addressed in the Communication. While raccoon dogs are already listed on the list of invasive alien species of Union concern, the Commission states that in 2024 it will consider whether to propose to include American mink in this list. Previous attempts to do so had been blocked by several Member States despite the responsible scientific committee’s approval of a risk assessment highlighting the threat American mink pose to native biodiversity.
  • Fur farming has already been completely banned in 15 Member States (with phase-outs still ongoing in some), namely Austria, Belgium, Croatia, Czech Republic, Estonia, France, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Slovenia and Slovakia. Partial bans have also been introduced in other Member States, namely Denmark, Sweden and Hungary. Legislation in Germany has rendered fur farming economically unviable. A proposal to ban fur farming is currently under consideration in Romania.
Facts on improving lives of animals farmed for food:
  • In 2020, the Commission committed to revising and expanding the scope of the existing EU animal welfare legislation in the framework of the EU Farm to Fork Strategy. Following the 1.4 million signatures strong ECI to End the Cage Age, the Commission later pledged to deliver a legislative proposal to end caged confinement for animals farmed for food by the end of 2023. This proposal has not been forthcoming.
  • The Commission’s proposal to revise the existing animal transport legislation includes the following elements:
    • Proposing the lowering of maximum journey times for most species. For example, horses, cows, sheep, goats and pigs should not be transported to slaughter for more than nine hours.
    • Updating space allowances to be aligned with EFSA’s recommendations on animal transport
    • Protecting young unweaned calves, lambs, kids, piglets and foals by banning on-road transportation over eight hours. However, a very concerning loophole exists where if part of the animal transportation occurs at sea, the time spent at sea is not included in the overall journey duration, thereby undermining the protection of unweaned animals.
    • Requiring real-time traceability of live animal consignments for all road journeys, which will help enforce rules designed to protect animals, such as maximum transportation times.
    • Limiting live animal transport to ships flying white or grey flags. Under the performance ratings of the Paris Memorandum of Understanding on Port State Controls, only those ships will be allowed to operate and receive authorisation certificates to transport live animals. This will exclude ships that have shown an excessive number of deficiencies to be responsible for transporting animals.

ENDS

Media contact: Cassie Bodin-Duval, international media relations coordinator; cbodinduval@hsi.org

Learn More Button Inserter