Issue Type: Wildlife

Wildlife

Interim interdict prohibits the trophy hunting of African elephants in South Africa

Humane Society International / Africa

Simon Eeman/Alamy Stock

CAPE TOWN—Humane Society International has learned about a male elephant who was killed in a deeply distressing and tragic trophy hunt at a local game reserve on September 3, 2023, in the Limpopo Province of South Africa. The elephant suffered through eight gunshots over an extended period of time before finally succumbing to his injuries.

This tragic episode contradicts the prevailing South Africa High Court interim interdict, a court order issued after a successful legal challenge brought by Humane Society International/Africa in 2022 against the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment and others. The court order explicitly prohibits the allocation of permits for trophy hunting of African elephants, leopard and black rhino in South Africa.

The elephant was killed at the Maseke Game Reserve, situated within the Balule Nature Reserve, by a hunting party consisting of a client, a hunting guide, a reserve representative and a backup rifleman. According to a publicly released letter issued by Balule Nature Reserve, the client discharged the initial gunshot, wounding the elephant. The reserve representative and the hunting guide fired subsequent shots to bring the elephant down, however these efforts also proved ineffective. The injured elephant sought to escape into the neighbouring Grietjie Game Reserve, an ecotourism reserve, where trophy hunting is prohibited. The injured animal was followed on foot and a helicopter was called to the scene. The elephant was eventually located and was chased back into Maseke Game Reserve by the helicopter where he was finally killed by more gunfire. It is reported that approximately eight shots were discharged into the elephant before the harrowing ordeal was over.

Tony Gerrans, executive director for Humane Society International/Africa said, “We are horrified by this unnecessary tragedy. Given the High Court’s interdict prohibiting the permitting of elephant hunts, the letter’s conclusion that this hunt was lawful is incorrect. Furthermore, no animal should ever experience the pain and suffering that this elephant endured. The practice of trophy hunting is not only profoundly inhumane, but also poses a grave threat to our biodiversity and tarnishes South Africa’s global reputation as a sustainable and responsible tourist destination. To injure, chase and kill any animal in this way, is unacceptable.”

Balule Nature Reserve is a member of the Associated Private Nature Reserves, a group of privately owned nature reserves bordering Kruger National Park. Animals can move freely across the borders of neighbouring reserves. Within the APNR there are some reserves that allow trophy hunting and others that do not, which means that protected animals from one reserve, or even the Kruger National Park, could possibly be killed by trophy hunters within another reserve.

Sarah Veatch, director of wildlife policy for Humane Society International, said, “This incident is a serious cause for concern beyond South Africa: it calls attention to the rampant mismanagement, lack of oversight, and cruel nature in the global trophy hunting industry. This is a harsh reminder of Cecil the lion’s tragedy in Zimbabwe who suffered from arrow wounds for over 10 hours before he was killed by a trophy hunter, and it happens far more often than these two instances. Permit violations and documented instances of suffering like for this elephant and Cecil, are manifestations of the industry’s much larger, dangerous culture of wilful disregard for animals and the law.”

“This incident once again demonstrates the inhumanity of hunting sentient animals merely for bragging rights and to display parts of their bodies as trophies on a wall. Too many endangered and threatened animals continue to suffer and die within so called ‘nature conservation reserves’ in what is best described as a blood sport, Gerrans continued. “HSI/Africa has challenged the way this horrifying activity is permitted by the government, and we call on all South African wildlife administrators to abide by the High Court order which prohibits the permitting of elephant, leopard and black rhino hunts until such time as the court can rule on the merits of the permitting process.”

Editor’s note: These photos of elephants for download are at another South Africa location called the Makalali Game Reserve. These images are not at the Maseke Game Reserve or at the Balule Reserve and not the elephant who was shot. 

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Media contacts:

Humane Society International says Minister’s dismissal of animal cruelty is ‘inexplicable’

Humane Society International / Europe

Fin whale
Vicki Beaver/Alamy

BRUSSELS—As news breaks that Iceland will allow the resumption of commercial whaling with the introduction of so-called “improvements”,  despite clear evidence of immense animal suffering, global animal protection charity Humane Society International calls it a devastating and inexplicable decision.

Food, Agriculture and Fisheries Minister Svandís Svavarsdóttir issued the decision today to resume whaling on the advice from a working group that improvements could be made to the hunting methods used. Her announcement comes despite the suspension of whaling in June this year after publication of an independent report by the Icelandic Food and Veterinary Authority which revealed some whales killed in Icelandic hunts had taken up to two hours to die, with 41% of whales suffering immensely before dying for an average of 11.5 minutes. At the time, the Minister declared concerns that whale killing methods contravened the country’s Animal Welfare Act.

Ruud Tombrock, HSI/Europe’s executive director, said: “It is inexplicable that Minister Svavarsdóttir has dismissed the unequivocal scientific evidence that she herself commissioned, demonstrating the brutality and cruelty of commercial whale killing. There is simply no way to make harpooning whales at sea anything other than cruel and bloody, and no amount of modifications will change that. Whales already face myriad threats in the oceans from pollution, climate change, entanglement in fish nets and ship strikes, and fin whale victims of Iceland’s whaling fleet are considered globally vulnerable to extinction. With the need for whale protection so critical. this is a devastating rejection of a once-in-a-generation opportunity to end the slaughter at sea. There is a new shameful entry in the conservation history books―Iceland had a chance to do the right thing and it chose not to.”

Fast facts:

  • The International Whaling Commission agreed to enact a global moratorium on all commercial whaling in 1986.
  • Iceland left the IWC in 1992 but returned in 2002 with an exception to the moratorium, despite objections from multiple nations. Since re-joining the IWC, Iceland had killed more than 1,500 whales, including fin whales.
  • Iceland suspended hunting fin whales in 2016 due to a declining market for whale meat in Japan. Hunting resumed for the 2018 season when 146 fin whales were killed, including a pregnant female and a rare fin-blue hybrid whale, plus six minke whales. Icelandic whalers killed a single minke whale between 2019 and 2021, and 148 fin whales in 2022.
  • Fin whales are classified by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature as globally vulnerable to extinction despite decades of recovery since the commercial whaling moratorium.

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

Dong Nai pilot project by Humane Society International in Viet Nam offers hope for the conservation of Viet Nam’s wild elephants

Humane Society International

HSI Wild Asian elephants in Viet Nam. Images captured by camera traps as part of HSI Viet Nam’s project to monitor the wild population and humanely mitigate human-elephant conflict.

DONG NAI, Viet Nam—Efforts to save Viet Nam’s wild elephants—currently listed as Endangered in the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s Red List are being given a boost by a new collaborative, science-based project including camera trap IDs. The unique project is a joint effort between the government of Viet Nam* and animal protection partner Humane Society International and is part of Viet Nam’s new national elephant conservation action plan to protect the country’s remaining wild elephant herds. By using camera traps to create individual photo IDs and profiles for each animal, while also monitoring human-elephant conflict incidents and conducting elephant distribution surveys, the project aims to better understand elephants, their movements and behavior to help humanely mitigate human-elephant conflict which threatens this endangered sub-population of Asia’s elephants.

Viet Nam’s once thriving population of wild forest elephants has declined from around 2,000 individuals four decades ago to now as few as 100-130. Dong Nai is home to the second largest remaining wild elephant population in the country. Due to its significance, this region has been prioritized for elephant protection, and over the past two years researchers from HSI’s Viet Nam team have used camera traps to build a unique catalogue of the resident elephants, each with their own Vietnamese name and ID card of distinguishing features, behaviors, demographics, body condition and herd grouping. Male adult elephants such as Nga Lech, Cat Tien and Dat Do have been tracked and identified throughout the Cat Tien National Park, the Dong Nai Nature Reserve and the La Nga State-owned Forestry Enterprise of three districts (Tan Phu, Vinh Cuu and Dinh Quan).

The level of detail obtained from the project’s photographs and videos has never been achieved before for Viet Nam’s wild elephants. Among other results, it has enabled researchers to nearly double their estimates for Dong Nai’s sub-population from just 14 to between 25-27 individuals. HSI hopes this extremely encouraging data for Dong Nai’s sub-population might bring good news for a nationwide increase in population estimates should the project be applied across all elephant range provinces in Viet Nam, especially Dak Lak, Nghe An, Ha Tinh and Quang Nam which hold the other largest sub-populations.

Nguyen Quoc Tri, vice minister of the Viet Nam Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, said: “Unlike other efforts, this special project with HSI provides us with science-based and practical solutions. From the viewpoint of government management, I highly appreciate the diverse stakeholder engagement that the project has involved, including local communities, researchers and animal protection experts so that both human and wild animal voices are considered carefully as part of each recommendation impacting elephants.”

The joint project not only helps better track and understand this elephant sub-population, it also helps to monitor and better manage human-elephant conflict incidents. Over the past several years, researchers have gathered data on the type of locations where such conflict occurs, the level of conflict experienced, as well as the number and identities of the elephants involved in each incident. The data gathered from community questionnaires as part of an elephant distribution survey has also revealed the true size of the elephants’ home range and those areas shared between humans and elephants.

These initiatives confirm that confrontational deterrent tactics such as hitting elephants with sticks, banging cooking utensils, deploying firecrackers and homemade explosives, or even setting poison, are not only detrimental to elephant welfare but can also make elephants defensive and more aggressive in the presence of people, which further escalates conflict. With so few elephants left, even one fatality due to conflict is a disastrous outcome. Monitoring human-elephant conflict through this initiative will improve mitigation strategies by basing them on a deeper understanding of the wants, needs, habitats and habits of the elephants.

Vo Van Phi, vice chairman of Dong Nai Provincial People’s Committee, said: “Dong Nai Province would love to pioneer new initiatives to protect threatened species. Losing the last Javan rhino in Cat Tien National Park questions and challenges us to save other endangered species to ensure Dong Nai is one of the highest biodiversity hotspots in Viet Nam. Obtaining these promising results for our wild elephants, we sincerely thank MARD/DOF and HSI for their technical and financial support over the last several years.”

Phuong Tham, Viet Nam country director for Humane Society International, said: “Viet Nam’s elephant population is now so small that unless we act fast to protect them, they face the very real possibility of extinction. The Viet Nam government has acknowledged that conservation priority with a very welcome national protection program which HSI is helping to craft, and this Dong Nai project is a key component. With elephants and people competing for limited habitat, conflict situations can arise and even be exacerbated when violent or frightening deterrent tactics are employed. These tactics also treat elephants as perpetrators rather than as stakeholders who need to be understood. With HSI’s new research data, conflict situations can be approached knowing the characteristics, behavior, range and habits of the specific elephants involved, so that custom-designed solutions can be implemented that have a far better chance of promoting peaceful co-existence between people and pachyderms.”

Humane Society International and its government partners (Viet Nam’s Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, and the Dong Nai Provincial People’s Committee) formally announced the findings of the camera trap identification work, together with the human-elephant conflict monitoring and distribution survey, at a two-day workshop in Dong Nai on 30-31 Aug. Ten international experts joined with more than 50 Vietnamese delegates to share and discuss the best practices for elephant protection to apply within Viet Nam’s local contexts of small and fragmented elephant populations. It is hoped that the workshop will contribute significantly to assist Viet Nam’s decision makers in identifying which actions to adopt for Viet Nam’s national elephant conservation action plan, which will run from 2023 to 2032, with a vision to 2050. In the meantime, the data gathered and the methodology implemented will continue to provide the foundation for ongoing work in Dong Nai province, and the partners hope that it can be replicated in other elephant range provinces in Viet Nam to learn more about the local populations and mitigate human-elephant conflict across the country.

Download Photos/Video from the Camera Trap

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Media contacts:

  • Wendy Higgins, HSI’s director of international media, whiggins@hsi.org
  • Mai Nguyen, senior wildlife manager of HSI in Viet Nam, maitn@hsi.org,
*The government of Viet Nam is represented by the Department of Forestry under Viet Nam Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development and Dong Nai Forest Protection Department of Dong Nai Department of Agriculture and Rural Development under Dong Nai Provincial People’s Committee.

High-level workshop bolsters battle against major threat to Costa Rica’s biodiversity

Humane Society International / Latin America

HSI/Latin America

SAN JOSE— This week, top officials from national judicial bodies and ministries convened at the National Police Academy in Pococi, Limon Province, to intensify their fight against the illicit trade ravaging Costa Rica’s native wildlife. Backed by Humane Society International, the four-day training is a direct response to the escalating plunder and trade of wildlife species.

Wildlife trafficking has become not only a threat to hundreds of species but also one of the most lucrative illegal trades in the world, with an annual value of up to USD 20 billion. Animals such as glass frogs and beetles are increasingly illegally extracted from the Costa Rican rainforest to be paraded as exotic pets while birds, sea turtles and butterflies are killed to turn their parts into trinkets.

“Latin America is a region with a great diversity of species and, in particular, Costa Rica is considered ‘megadiverse.’ This generates a spotlight on wildlife, which becomes a resource under pressure due to human action. Wildlife trafficking in this region is a considerable threat to our biodiversity,” said Jose Pablo Gonzalez, deputy environmental prosecutor and National Environmental Security Commission coordinator.

Enhancing coordination among law enforcement agencies and hands-on drills to identify wildlife crimes at airport checkpoints were some of the topics addressed at the second workshop of the series “Combating wildlife trafficking in Costa Rica and its manifestations at the regional and national level.”

More than 40 representatives of national authorities gathered to ramp up efforts in investigating and prosecuting wildlife crime originating or transiting through Costa Rica, including officials from the Ministry of Public Security and the Ministry of Environment and Energy, the Judicial Investigation Agency and its Forensic Sciences Laboratory, the Attorney General’s office, and the National Animal Health Service.

This series of workshops, as well as a previous donation of specialized equipment, are part of a project funded by the United States Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs  and administered by Humane Society International/Latin America, in coordination with Costa Rica’s National Environmental Security Commission. The workshops were organized by the International Fund for Animal Welfare.

“At HSI, we view wildlife trafficking as a major threat to species around the world, including endangered ones. These animals suffer greatly and end their days as pets, decorations or souvenirs, and this is unacceptable. Therefore, we are pleased to support authorities in their investigation and prosecution efforts to reduce wildlife trafficking that originates or transits through Costa Rica,” said Andrea Borel, HSI/Latin America executive director.

“Wildlife trade encourages other illegal activities, is extremely cruel to animals, and represents a risk to human health. For this reason, we are very grateful and honored to collaborate with Costa Rican authorities in improving their capacities to combat this environmental crime,” said Joaquin de la Torre, IFAW’s regional director for Latin America and the Caribbean.

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Media contact: Alejandra Zuniga, alezuniga@outlook.com

Some of the iconic species include anteaters, kinkajous and howler monkeys

Humane Society International / Latin America

Santiago Billy/AP Images for HSI

PETEN, Guatemala—In a joint effort by non-governmental organizations Humane Society International/Latin America and Asociacion Rescate y Conservacion de Vida Silvestre—which is known as  ARCAS—40 animals of 14 different species were released in the Yaxha Nakum Naranjo National Park in Peten, Guatemala, after being rescued from illegal trafficking and going through a rigorous rehabilitation process.

With the authorization of Guatemalan authorities from the National Council for Protected Areas, or CONAP, the animals were released to the Maya Biosphere Reserve following rehabilitation after falling victim to wildlife trafficking or negative interactions with humans. Some of the rehabilitation activities included learning how to fly, jump, run, hide from predators and identify food in the wild.

“Keeping wild animals as ‘pets’ is a dangerous trend that is seriously affecting our ecosystems,” said Andrea Borel, executive director of HSI/Latin America. “Together with our local partner, ARCAS, we work to give these animals—who should have never been taken from their homes—a second chance in life to grow and flourish.”

Endangered species are highly valued in the wildlife trade because of their rarity, leading to overexploitation and black-market trade, and pushing these species further toward extinction. The rehabilitation of these animals is essential in strengthening the populations of endemic and endangered species in the Maya Biosphere Reserve, which have been considerably depleted and diminished in their natural habitats by human action. Release and rehabilitation of these animals is necessary to ensure that there are healthy populations capable of adapting and reproducing in their natural habitat.

ARCAS carries out the physical, medical and behavioral rehabilitation of victims of wildlife trafficking under strict scientific management standards and later releases animals into their natural habitat. HSI/Latin America and ARCAS have been working together in wildlife protection and conservation in Guatemala since 2004.

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Scientists call on governments to consider evidence for the elimination of fur farming

Humane Society International / Europe

Stock Photography

BRUSSELS―In an article published in the scientific journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, virologists Dr Thomas Peacock and Professor Wendy Barclay of Imperial College London have issued a stern warning regarding the risks fur farming poses for future disease outbreaks. The concerns have intensified due to recent avian flu outbreaks on mink and fox fur farms in Spain and Finland, sparking increasing fears that fur farms can act as breeding grounds for zoonotic diseases. Responding to this alarming development, leading animal protection organisation Humane Society International/Europe urges the European Commission to act fast to introduce a ban on fur farming and imports throughout the EU.

Fur farming has faced significant restrictions and outright bans across Europe, with a total of 19 countries, including 14 EU Member States, taking a stand against this controversial industry. Despite these advancements, millions of animals, including mink, fox, raccoon dog and chinchilla continue to be bred for their fur in EU countries, such as Finland, Poland, Greece, Spain, Romania and Sweden.

In the PNAS article, Dr Peacock and Professor Barclay write that “fur farming takes place in a high-density animal environment that allows for rapid spread of viruses with pandemic potential—and for virus adaptation to animals that would be unlikely to occur in nature.” Reports in Science and Nature have raised fears that the avian flu virus could be demonstrating the potential to mutate and spread mammal-to-mammal, which in turn increases concerns of a future pandemic. Peacock was quoted saying that the outbreak is “incredibly concerning” and “a clear mechanism for an H5 pandemic to start.”

Peacock and Barclay go on to say in the PNAS article: “We strongly urge governments to also consider the mounting evidence suggesting that fur farming, particularly mink, be eliminated in the interest of pandemic preparedness. Fur farming should be in the same category of high-risk practices as the bushmeat trade and live animal markets. These activities all increase the likelihood of future pandemics.”

Dr Joanna Swabe, senior director of public affairs at Humane Society International/Europe, said: “It is completely unacceptable that millions of animals continue to suffer terribly for fur fashion across Europe, and this is compounded by the equally outrageous fact that their exploitation poses a very serious threat to the health of EU and global citizens. As the outbreaks of COVID-19 and avian influenza on fur farms have amply shown, factory farming mammals in small wire cage conditions is simply unsustainable from an animal welfare and pandemic prevention viewpoint. We’re essentially putting public health at risk for cruel products that no one needs. With the EU Commission due to deliver its proposals to revise EU animal welfare legislation, now is the perfect time to relegate the cruel and dangerous fur trade to the annals of history.”

Earlier this year, an EU-wide “Fur-Free Europe” European Citizens’ Initiative petition calling on the European Commission to ban the farming and sale of fur in the EU, gathered 1.5 million validated signatures in under ten months. The Commission now has until December 14 this year to formally respond to this ECI and outline the actions it intends to take with regard to fur farming in the EU. As the European Commission prepares to deliver later this year legislative proposals to revise and expand the scope of the existing animal welfare legislation,  a coalition of more than 70 European animal groups, including Humane Society International/Europe, is calling for that revision to include an EU-wide ban on fur farming and trade.

Notes:

  • Mink and foxes tested positive this month for highly pathogenic avian influenza H5N1 on 10 fur farms in Finland, with more farms under suspicion for the virus and awaiting test results. In October last year, the first recorded outbreak of avian flu on a fur farm took place on a Spanish mink fur farm intensively breeding 52,000 mink, reigniting calls for an end to global fur farming.Since April 2020, mink on 487 fur farms across North America and Europe have been reported as having tested positive for SARS-CoV-2.  The virus has been shown to pass from mammal to mammal on intensive mink fur farms and reports of farmed mink to human transfer has been reported in at least six countries. The most recent outbreaks were recorded in Poland in March 2023 and in Italy in April 2023.
  • Fur farming is already banned in many European countries, including Austria, Belgium, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Czech Republic, Croatia, Estonia, France, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Luxembourg, North Macedonia, Malta, the Netherlands, Norway, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia and the United Kingdom. Lithuania, Poland and Romania are currently considering fur farming bans.
  • In June 2023, Austria, Germany and the Netherlands tabled an information note on fur farming, which was co-signed by the Belgian, Czech, Estonian, Lithuanian, Luxembourg and Slovak delgations, for discussion at the AGRIFISH Council. During the debate, 18 Member States voiced their support for a full ban on fur farming in the EU.

Media contact: Cassie Bodin-Duval, international coordinator for media relations: cbodinduval@hsi.org ; +32 (0) 469 149 469

Scientists call on governments to consider evidence for the elimination of fur farming

Humane Society International / United Kingdom

Stock Photography

LONDON―Virologists from Imperial College London’s Department of Infectious Disease have warned of the public health threat posed by the global fur trade, after outbreaks of avian flu (H5N1) on mink and fox fur farms in Spain and Finland increased fears that fur farms could act as reservoirs of zoonotic diseases. In an article published in the scientific journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Professor Wendy Barclay, head of the Department of Infectious Disease and chair in Influenza Virology at Imperial College London, and Dr Thomas Peacock, a virologist in the Department of Infectious Disease at Imperial College London, warn that mink farming poses a risk for the emergence of future disease outbreaks and should be considered in the same risk level category as the bushmeat trade and live animal markets. The UK banned fur farming in 2000 but still imports fur from other countries including Finland, Spain, Canada and Poland, leading animal protection organisation Humane Society International/UK to call for a UK fur import and sales ban.  

In the PNAS article, Dr Peacock and Professor Barclay write that “fur farming takes place in a high-density animal environment that allows for rapid spread of viruses with pandemic potential—and for virus adaptation to animals that would be unlikely to occur in nature.” Minks are highly susceptible to infection with several viruses that also infect humans, and the article draws attention to the many outbreaks of SARS-CoV-2 (the causative agent of COVID-19) that have been identified in farmed mink in Europe and North America since 2020.  

The PNAS article comes as animals including minks and foxes tested positive this month for highly pathogenic avian influenza H5N1 on 10 fur farms in Finland, with more farms under suspicion for the virus and awaiting test results. In October last year, the first recorded outbreak of avian flu on a fur farm took place—on a Spanish mink fur farm intensively breeding 52,000 mink, reigniting calls for an end to global fur farming, and for the UK to take action by ending fur imports. Reports in Science and Nature have raised fears that the avian flu virus could be demonstrating the potential to mutate and spread mammal-to-mammal, which in turn increases concerns of a future pandemic. Thomas Peacock was quoted saying that the outbreak is “incredibly concerning” and “a clear mechanism for an H5 pandemic to start.” 

Peacock and Barclay go on to say in the PNAS article: “Fur farming is banned across many European countries and North American states or territories. Several other regions have set dates for phasing it out. These bans have historically been a response to ethical concerns about the treatment of these animals. We strongly urge governments to also consider the mounting evidence suggesting that fur farming, particularly mink, be eliminated in the interest of pandemic preparedness. Fur farming should be in the same category of high-risk practices as the bushmeat trade and live animal markets. These activities all increase the likelihood of future pandemics.” 

Fur farming has been illegal in the UK since the Fur Farming (Prohibition) Acts came into force in 2003. Despite this, HMRC records show that £41,970,308 of fur was imported to the UK in 2022, from countries including Italy, China and France. Humane Society International/UK leads the #FurFreeBritain campaign urging the Government to end this double standard by banning imports and sales of fur in the UK. 

Claire Bass, senior director of campaigns and public affairs at HSI/UK, said: “In addition to the appalling suffering animals on fur farms are subjected to as fashion victims, the fur trade also poses a very real danger to public health. These very worrying outbreaks of avian flu on fox and mink farms in Spain and Finland follow many hundreds of outbreaks of the COVID-19 virus on fur farms across Europe and North America and show that factory farming animals for fur is playing Russian roulette with public health, for an entirely frivolous product. The UK led the way by banning fur farming two decades ago, but to stop being complicit in this cruel and risky trade we need to ban fur imports and sales too. A fur trade ban has the backing of over three quarters of the public, more than 250 cross-party MPs and Peers, and now virologists are also advising we call time on fur. The Government has been dragging its heels on fur for years, but stopping the global fur trade from creating the next pandemic demands decisive and urgent action.” 

National polling in April 2022 shows that 77% of people in Britain think the Government should ban the import of animal products such as fur, where the production methods are already banned in the UK. More than 1.1 million petition signatures have also been gathered. 

In May 2021 the UK Government launched a Call for Evidence on the UK fur trade, with the stated intention of using the findings to inform possible future action. Almost 30,000 responses were submitted before the consultation closed in June 2021, but over two years on, officials are yet to release the results or set out a policy response. 

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Media contact: Sally Ivens, senior specialist media and communications for HSI/UK : sivens@hsi.org  ; 07590 559299

Notes:

  • Since April 2020, mink on 487 fur farms across North America and Europe have been reported as having tested positive for SARS-CoV-2.  The virus has been shown to pass from mammal to mammal on intensive mink fur farms and reports of farmed mink to human transfer has been reported in at least six countries. The most recent outbreaks were recorded in Poland in March 2023 and in Italy in April 2023. 
  • In its Action Plan for Animal Welfare in 2021, the Government stated: “Fur farming has been banned on ethical grounds in England and Wales since 2000, and since 2002 in Scotland and Northern Ireland. Whilst there are existing import restrictions on seal, cat and dog fur, it is still possible to import other fur from abroad, so we will explore potential action in this area.” 

HSI/Africa’s Elefence Project supports newly approved national wildlife management priorities laid out in 2023 White Paper on Conservation and Sustainable Use of South Africa’s Biodiversity

Humane Society International / Africa

HSI

CAPE TOWN, South Africa— Animal protection organisation Humane Society International/Africa has advanced a unique community-based conservation project around Ithala Game Reserve to facilitate peaceful co-existence between elephant herds and local people. In collaboration with Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife, African Conservation Trust and the Bio-Diversity Conservation Foundation, HSI/Africa is constructing an elephant-proof fence in the 290 km2 reserve in northern KwaZulu-Natal province to stop resident pachyderms from leaving the prescribed area and damaging local crops as they roam further afield. Project Elefence clearly aligns with the South African Government’s White Paper on Conservation and Sustainable Use of South Africa’s Biodiversity, approved and gazetted earlier this month, which aims to “conserve and manage South Africa’s biodiversity, and ensure healthy ecosystems, ecological integrity and connectivity, with transformative socio-economic benefits to society for current and future generations.”

The fence will provide a humane solution to mitigate elephant-human conflict instead of lethal population control methods such as culling. The project’s collaborative, community-centric approach is the result of many years’ work by HSI/Africa and partners which has placed establishing relationships with local communities and employing social ecologists right at the heart of the project. As the boundary between several communities and the reserve is currently unfenced, the project brings enormous benefits and security to the people living close by, while also protecting the resident wildlife. Project Elefence runs alongside HSI/Africa’s other humane elephant management project at Ithala, an innovative immunocontraception program implemented since 2014.

An additional benefit is that the fence still allows smaller animals including local cattle herds to walk under the fence to access their grazing areas and the Phongolo river, while keeping elephants in the confined area.

Audrey Delsink, elephant biologist and HSI/Africa director of wildlife, says: “This is a prime example of human-wildlife cooperation that is implicit within the government’s White Paper, because it creates wildlife and community benefit at the same time. It was absolutely imperative for us from the outset to adopt a community-centered approach. We have eight communities including the land-owning communities of Ithala fully engaged in this project as active stakeholders and participants. Far too often, conservation projects have taken a top-down approach and failed to engage the local communities that are directly affected. With Project Elefence, the surrounding communities are essential partners who have a clear vested interest in making this work to protect and enhance their land tenure, livelihoods, crops and property. As an elephant biologist, I’m also proud that HSI/Africa is yet again spearheading practical, humane solutions to prevent lethal killing being used to control elephants in South Africa.”

HSI/Africa applauds the project partners for their involvement in this cutting-edge initiative, the first of many projects supporting the mission set forth in the White Paper and urges the adoption of this community-based conservation method throughout the rest of South Africa.

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Media contact: Leozette Roode, media specialist for Humane Society International/Africa, LRoode@hsi.org, +27 71 360 1104.

Feeric Fashion Week Sibiu will have its first fur-free edition

Humane Society International / Europe

Kateryna Kukota

SIBIU, Romania―The Feeric Fashion Week, the oldest still running fashion event in Romania, has accepted the invitation of Humane Society International/Europe to join the Fur Free Retailer programme. It will have its first fur-free edition between July 19-23, 2023 in Sibiu. Among the fashion brands and designers participating in the Sibiu fashion festival, there are students from fashion universities from Eastern and Central Europe, Central Asia and Northern Africa.

HSI/Europe, who represents the Fur Free Retailer programme for Romania, welcomes the newest member, which is also the first fashion show to join it.

Andreea Roseti, Romania country director for HSI/Europe, said: “It is an excellent message that a well-known fashion festival in Romania has decided for the first time to promote brands not using fur in their clothing products. With the help of events like Feeric Fashion Week, we are changing perceptions in Romania about fur and making people aware that the suffering of animals bred for their fur must be stopped. Our hope is that the Chamber of Deputies will soon vote for the legislation to close fur farms in our country.”

Elise Allart, corporate engagement director at HSI/Europe, added: “The Romanian fashion industry clearly shows that the future of fashion is fur-free. Feeric Fashion Week is the first fashion event in the world to join the Fur Free Retailer programme and commit to banning fur fashion from the runway. The event is a great addition to the growing list of Romanian fashion brands that are already part of the programme, including Ioana Ciolacu, Muse um Concept, REDU and OCTAVIA CHIRU. Last weeks we welcomed KATERINI and HOOLDRA. We call on all designers, retailers and events to join the fur-free fashion movement in Romania, contributing to the overall European effort to give up fur fashion.”

Mitichi, president of Feeric Fashion Week, said that sustainability and care for the environment have been major concerns for the organisers of the event for many years, stating: “We are now in our seventh year of promoting sustainable fashion, but 2023 is the first year that we are focusing on promoting fur-free clothing creations. We decided that we needed to take on the role of informing the public and helping to build a cleaner environment and a better future for the fashion industry, one that does not involve animal cruelty.”

This Feeric Fashion Week marks its 15th edition, being the longest running fashion event in Romania and one of the most important in Central and Eastern Europe. Feeric Fashion Week has also proved over time to be a platform for the promotion of young talent, with students who study fashion design having the chance to present their creations and be noticed by representatives of established brands in the fashion industry.

Fur facts:

  • The Fur Free Retailer programme is the world’s leading initiative to connect fur-free businesses with customers looking for ethically sourced products. The programme is free to join and aims to advise and encourage companies to go fur-free and further the spirit of ethical consumerism. Almost 1,600 fashion brands, retailers and designers in 25 countries around the world are part of the program, including Gucci, Moncler, Prada, Adidas, H&M and Zara. The program is initiated by the Fur Free Alliance, an association of more than 50 animal welfare organizations, and is represented in Romania by Humane Society International/Europe.
  • Romania remains one of the last EU member states with no restrictions on the keeping of animals for fur.
  • Last year, an undercover investigation by HSI/Europe exposed the living conditions on Romanian chinchilla farms. Animals were found living in small, dirty mesh cages. Female animals were forced into permanent reproduction and animals were killed by breaking their necks or in improvised do-it-yourself gas chambers. Following the HSI/Europe investigation, a bill to ban the farming of mink and chinchilla was tabled in parliament, voted on by the Senate and is currently debated by the Chamber of Deputies.
  • Public demand for an EU-wide ban on fur farming and fur imports has also been clearly demonstrated during the past year as the Fur Free Europe petition collected more than 1.5 million verified signatures from EU citizens. The European Commission is expected to respond to the demands of the petition by the end of the year and take action accordingly.
  • More than 100 million animals are killed for their fur every year worldwide—that is equivalent to three animals dying every second, just for their fur.

Fur farming has been banned in 19 European countries including the Netherlands, Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Croatia, Slovenia, Luxembourg, Malta, Ireland, Estonia, France, Italy and, most recently, on 22 September 2022, Latvia. Political discussions on a ban are also underway in Romania, Lithuania and Poland. Two countries (Switzerland and Germany) have implemented strict regulations effectively ending fur farming, and three other countries (Denmark, Sweden and Hungary) have imposed measures that have ended the fur farming of certain species.

ENDS

Media contacts: Andreea Roseti, Romania country director at Humane Society International/Europe, 0741 188 934

Humane Society International / Europe

Acceptphoto/Alamy

BRUSSELS—Today, the Belgian Federal government’s Council of Ministers approved a legislative proposal for a ban on the import of hunting trophies of endangered animal species, put forth by Zakia Khattabi, Minister of Climate, the Environment, Sustainable Development and Green Deal.

The Minister’s preliminary draft bill follows the Federal Parliament of the Kingdom of Belgium’s unanimous vote in March 2022 in support of a resolution demanding that the government put the brakes on the issuance of trophy import permits for a broad array of threatened and endangered species. This resolution protects species such as the hippopotamus, Southern white rhinoceros, African savannah elephant, lion, polar bear and argali sheep killed for sport. The scope of the resolution also extends to all species listed in Annex A, along with certain species in Annex B, of the European Regulation 338/97 on the protection of species of wild fauna and flora.

Member of Parliament Kris Verduyckt (Vooruit, Flemish Socialists), initiator of the legislative proposal to ban hunting trophy imports in 2020 and proposer of the aforementioned resolution, said: “I am glad that this hard work is paying off. Minister Khattabi is now fully translating my proposal into a bill and the entire Council of Ministers approves it. It’s time we really started protecting endangered species, trophy hunters prefer to kill the largest and strongest animals, the loss of which contributes to the disruption and decline of animal populations.”

The European office of animal protection charity Humane Society International, a long-time vocal advocate against the import of endangered species’ trophies, lauded the government’s decision. Ruud Tombrock, executive director for HSI/Europe said: “We welcome the fact that the unanimous resolution of Parliament has been translated into a legislative measure and look forward to studying the details of the legislation once published. Belgium is leading the way for other countries in Europe already listening to calls from their citizens to consign the import of hunting trophies to history. The next step should be an EU-wide ban on the import of hunting trophies from endangered and protected species, again reflecting the views of citizens across member states in the European Union.”

Over the past 16 months, HSI/Europe has worked with MPs to ensure that the unanimous resolution of Parliament was translated into legislation and today’s approval is the culmination of this campaign. MPs from different political parties have maintained pressure on Environment Minister Khattabi. A recent response to a parliamentary question from MP Jan Briers (CD&V, Flemish Christian democrats) revealed that the Ministry had only stopped issuing permits for importing animal trophies since mid-March 2023, a delay which outraged many MPs.

This landmark decision by the Belgian government echoes the strongly held views of its people. A 2020 survey by Ipsos commissioned by HSI/Europe showed that 91% of Belgians oppose trophy hunting and 88% support a prohibition on importing any kind of hunting trophy at all.

This sentiment is not limited to Belgium but is resonating across the European continent. A 2023 pan-European poll conducted by Savanta in all 27 EU Member States on behalf of HSI/Europe, laid bare the widespread public rejection of trophy hunting. A striking 83% of respondents stood firm against this practice, with just 6% in favor. The vast majority is expecting strong measures to be taken against trophy hunting, with a compelling majority (74%) rallying behind a national import ban and similar support for an EU-wide ban (73%). These survey results underscore a profound and growing public concern across Europe, spotlighting the urgency and importance of wildlife conservation and the protection of threatened species.

Today, Belgium has echoed the urgent European call to action against trophy hunting, joining the ranks of countries like the Netherlands, France, and Finland, which have each implemented various degrees of bans and restrictions on the practice of import of hunting trophies. Momentum against trophy hunting is accelerating across the continent, with nations including the UK, Germany, Italy, and Poland now also involved in active discussions to impose bans at varying stages of progress.

Facts on trophy hunting:

  • The Netherlands introduced a trophy hunting ban for more than 200 species in May 2016, on the 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, African elephant, 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 is restricted since 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 the United Kingdom in March 2023, British lawmakers approved a ban on the import of animal hunting trophies covering 6,000 endangered species which makes it one of the toughest in the world. The legislation is now being debated in the House of Lords.
  • 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 (CIC) 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, was presented. After the fall of the government and the elections, in 2023 the same bill was tabled again in parliament.
  • In Poland, a bill sponsored by the deputy chairperson of the Sejm, the lower chamber of the parliament, reached committee stage discussion this month and is scheduled for further progress in August 2023.
  • Trophy hunting of endangered species poses a severe threat to conservation efforts and the world’s natural heritage. Trophy hunters prefer to kill the largest, strongest animals, whose loss causes declines in population. The affected species, such as African elephants, lions, rhinoceros, and leopards, among others, are already facing the risk of extinction and play crucial roles in maintaining healthy ecosystems and biodiversity. The loss of these iconic animals not only disrupts delicate ecological balances but also erodes cultural and historical significance. Many species play important roles in their ecosystems, and their removal can have cascading effects on other wildlife, vegetation, and the overall health of the ecosystem.
  • The EU is the second biggest importer of hunting trophies after the United States, as indicated in a report by Humane Society International/Europe from 2021, with an average of 3000 trophies imported in the period between 2014 and 2018.
  • The top 10 species imported into the EU as trophies are: Hartmann’s mountain zebra (Equus zebra hartmannae) (3.119), Chacma baboon (1.751), American black bear (Ursus americanus) (1.415), brown bear (1.056), the African elephant (952), African lion (Panthera leo) (889), African leopard (Panthera pardus) (839), hippopotamus (Hippopotamus amphibius) (794), caracal (Caracal caracal) (480) and red lechwe (Kobus leche) (415).
  • The EU was the largest importer of cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus) trophies with 297 cheetah trophies imported into the EU during the study period.
  • Belgium is the 13thlargest hunting trophy importer of internationally protected species in  Europe
  • Shortly before the vote of the resolution last year, Animal Rights Belgium, another organisation campaigning against the import of hunting trophies in Belgium, delivered a petition with 37,000 signatures supporting the ban to the Federal Environment Minister, Zakia Khattabi.

ENDS

Media contact: Cassie Bodin-Duval, international coordinator in media relations at Humane Society International/Europe: cbodinduval@hsi.org ; +32 (0) 469 149 469

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