BERLIN—In an interview published yesterday evening, former Botswana President Ian Khama called on the German government to ban the import of hunting trophies, countering a recent political push to squash commitments made by Minister Steffi Lemke to protect species already threatened by trade. As the EU’s largest importer of such species as hunting trophies, Germany has the opportunity to enhance national regulation to safeguard against the illogical trade protection exemptions for hunting trophies currently permitted under the Convention on Threatened and Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora.
“Many species that are now endangered were not at risk before; some have already become extinct,” said Ian Khama in the interview. “Animals whose populations are relatively stable today could one day face the same danger. We all bear responsibility for this world. I urge the German people and government to take this courageous step. Ban the import of hunting trophies.”
Sylvie Kremerskothen Gleason, country director for HSI/Europe in Germany, stated: “Attempts to politicize the issue of trophy hunting imports won’t change the facts that there are real biological, ecological and social detrimental impacts from trophy hunting. Germany must take responsibility at the national level to promote alternative sustainable solutions to protect wildlife where Germany has a direct influence, such as through their own international trade in hunting trophies. Commitments to reduce hunting trophy imports, made by Minister Lemke, are in line with public opinion in Germany, and must be progressed.”
Through the #NotInMyWorld campaign, Humane Society International/Europe is advocating for national and EU-wide bans on the import of wildlife species threatened by trade, a policy that several EU member states have already partially or fully implemented, including Belgium, France, Finland and the Netherlands. According to a survey, 89% of German citizens support such a ban, which would represent a significant step toward wildlife conservation. HSI/Europe is working with champions across Europe to support countries in moving from extractive, harmful industries such as trophy hunting, into sustainable, humane industries that could provide a much wider suite of benefits for both animals and humans alike.
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Media contact: Eva-Maria Heinen, communications senior manager at HSI/Europe: emheinen@hsi.org; 3338608589
Humane Society International responds to Kodami investigation as further evidence of trophy hunters’ political greenwashing and the division amongst hunters.
Humane Society International / Europe
coldsnowstorm/istock
ROME—Yesterday, the Italian media outlet Kodami released a video of their independent undercover investigation undertaken at “Jagd & Hund”, Europe’s largest hunting fair held in Dortmund, Germany from January 24-29, delivering another shocking look behind the scenes of an industry currently under intense political scrutiny in Europe as multiple Member States consider hunting trophy trade bans.
Humane Society International and affiliates have been at the forefront of a global fight to ban the trade in hunting trophies of imperiled species. For years, the Humane Society of the United States has unveiled what happens at the world’s largest annual hunting fair hosted by Safari Club International in the United States, working to unmask the hypocrisy of the trophy hunting lobby and its attempts to greenwash the exploitative industry while lobbying against endangered species protections.
Kodami’s investigation findings add to a growing collection of evidence of trophy hunters’ political equivocation and blatant disregard for conservation principles. Many hunters are condemning trophy hunting as unacceptable in modern society. Multiple investigations by HSI and the HSUS over the years revealed:
The presentation of trophy hunting as a well-managed, conservation-focused industry is a farce. When gathered together at these conventions, outfitters and trophy hunters have undermined or outright dismissed ethical and animal welfare considerations. At the Staffordshire County hunting fair in 2022 an HSI investigator asked if he could drink alcohol while on a hunt in Africa. The outfitters’ response was: “Yeah, they [expletive] don’t give a [expletive] over there. [Expletive] me if you want to go around with a beer and a cigar and [expletive] blast stuff. They’re pretty laid back.” This crude, irresponsible sentiment was seen across multiple investigations, outfitters and guests.
Trophy hunting outfitters at the fairs use gimmicks and deep discounts on animals’ lives to increase sales. Many offer canned hunts—where the animal is bred and shot in captivity—or “easy” hunts where they can guarantee a kill for a client.
Outfitters push marketing schemes meant to maximize hunt sales regardless of the hunters’ proficiency by promising a family-like experience with the guides and glorifying the adrenaline of trophy hunting, preparing inexperienced clients in as little as a day. They also claim to “bend the rules” around hunts and ethics, offering clients the option of hunting from the back of trucks or setting up captive hunts.
Children are often present and featured in promotional material to encourage family engagement. It was apparent to HSUS investigators that killing animals for pleasure and keeping their body parts was being normalized for children at these conventions. One conference attendee attendee told investigators that he and his children participated in a canned hunt, killing “their” lion within 90 minutes.
Investigators found that the hunting community is not united in support of trophy hunting. Many hunters believe that captive hunting, baiting and hunting from a vehicle violate fair chase ethics, while others don’t support hunting of iconic or imperiled animals or hunting animals when meat consumption isn’t a primary driver.
Kodami’s investigation video further proves what Humane Society International has been pointing out for years: the trophy hunting industry’s economic model incentivizes over-exploitation which can push imperiled species like lions, leopards and elephants further towards extinction. The sales model found across all conventions indicates that the value of wildlife is determined by consumer demand, not by their intrinsic value, conservation status or value to local communities. Trophy fees can run up to US$65,000 for wild lions and US$35,000 for leopards and are typically around US$40,000 for an elephant, depending on the size of their tusks. The record auction for a hunt of a black rhino—one of the most endangered mammals on the planet—was at the 2014 Safari Club International convention for US$400,000. However, the industry also chooses which animals to devalue either by setting trophy fees low such as for ducks, doves and guinea fowl “worth” only US$5; by offering extreme discounts for the hunting packages (a giraffe hunt was offered for US$1,200 as “a giveaway”); or by offering animal kills for free as bait, such as hippos (whose numbers are declining), to draw out the target trophy animal such as lions and leopards.
Humane Society International/Europe executive director Ruud Tombrock, after seeing the footage released by Kodami yesterday, commented: “Trophy hunters can’t seem to hide their passion for carnage or complete disrespect for animals for long when they all gather together at conventions like the Jagd & Hund in Germany, Cinegética in Spain, and Safari Club International’s in the U.S. Undercover investigations like Kodami’s and ours are vitally important to dispel the ‘helping hand’ fantasy that the hunting lobby has peddled to policymakers and the public. These false representations of the industry have so far secured for them hunting and trade policy exemptions for imperiled wildlife they shot for fun where it would otherwise be prohibited. We cannot let this pandering continue under their lobby’s false narrative. Policymakers need to see their true nature and put an end to facilitating their abuse of wildlife.”
Background:
The EU is the second largest importer of hunting trophies with 14.912 hunting trophies from 73 different CITES-listed mammalian species imported between 2014-2018, such as leopards, hippos, elephants, lions and even species like the critically endangered black rhino. Hunting fairs played a significant role in the promotion and sale of the represented hunts.
More and more transport companies pledged to prohibit transporting of hunting trophies. Find here a list of more than 30 airlines, freight carriers and businesses from the transport sector that have a passenger baggage or cargo policy against hunting trophies.
HSI/Europe has been advocating for a ban on hunting trophy imports with its campaign #NotInMyWorld aimed at the European Union and Member States since 2021. Our petition to the European Parliament calls for urgent action to ensure that the existing requirements of the EU Wildlife Trade Regulations and Habitats Directive with respect to hunting trophies are being properly implemented, as outlined in commitments in the EU Biodiversity Strategy.
We’ve made significant progress to date:
On June 21st the French Assembly adopted an amendment that will significantly assist customs authorities in limiting the import of hunting trophies of certain endangered animal species into France by an overwhelming majority (113 votes for, one vote against). This vote coincides with a new legislative proposal for a ban brought forth by Senator Céline Boulay-Espéronnier on May 23.
In March 2023, British lawmakers in the House of Commons advanced legislation that would ban the import of animal hunting trophies from over 6,000 internationally regulated species, including elephants, rhinos and leopards. The bill is currently under consideration by the House of Lords.
Last year in Italy, IEG Italian Exhibition Group SpA announced it will no longer host the HIT Show (Italy’s largest hunting fair with 40,000 visitors and hundreds of international exhibitors each year) citing explicitly the event’s incompatibility with environmental values and mission of the event.
Finland banned the import from outside the EU of hunting trophies of species protected under Annex A and 12 species under Annex B of the EU Wildlife Trade Regulations in 2022.
The Belgian federal parliament unanimously called on the government in 2022 to immediately stop issuing import permits for trophies of species protected by specific international trade regulations.
In 2016, the Netherlands banned imports of trophies of more than 200 species, and in 2015, France banned imports of lion trophies.
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Media contact: Eva-Maria Heinen, communications and PR manager for Germany&Italy: emheinen@hsi.org
Reassessing our food systems and intensive livestock farming must be high on the COP27 agenda
Humane Society International / Europe
dhughes9/iStock.com
BONN, Germany—Today, given the urgent need to make transformative shifts across food systems World Animal Protection and Humane Society International hosted an event, ‘A just protein transition for sustainability, biodiversity and the climate’, at the UN Bonn Climate Change Conference. The panelists highlighted the need for more attention to be placed on industrial livestock production as a significant driver of climate change at the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP27) to be held in Egypt in November. They are also asking for policymakers to take comprehensive action to drive a global transformation of our food production system and consumption habits, if we are to have any hope of meeting Paris Agreement targets.
The panel made-up of experts in food, climate, and animal welfare made the case for why a just protein transition is a crucial step towards reducing emissions. Speakers highlighted the importance for a just, humane and sustainable protein transition for Asia, as the largest meat producing region in the world, accounting for around 45% of total meat production, and forecasted to account for 53% of global trade by 2029.
“The latest Intergovernmental Panel on Climate report is clear: we are not on track to keep global temperatures to 1.5 degrees of warming as per the Paris Agreement,” said Stephanie Maw, public affairs and campaign officer for Humane Society International UK. “We need rapid transformations across all systems, including food systems, to avoid the worst climate impacts and address the mass animal suffering caused by industrial farming.”
“The scale of the suffering of billions of animals trapped in intensive factory farms is alarming and its very existence should shock and shame us, but it is also doing untold damage to our health, to biodiversity, to workers and to our entire planet,” said World Animal Protection CEO Steve McIvor.
“With a human population projected to surpass 9.7 billion people by 2050, combined with growing demand for meat and dairy, particularly across Asia and Africa, the spread of industrial livestock systems around the world will significantly increase their already devastating impact the environment, climate, public health, human rights and animal welfare in the years to come. Enabled in a timely manner, a just transition in livestock production would not only help mitigate the climate crisis, but could also serve as a strong driver of job creation, social justice, poverty reduction and better public health,” said Lasse Bruun, 50by40 CEO.
In response to these trends, World Animal Protection and 50by40, brought together 40 Asia-based civil society organisations working on climate change, public health, finance, smallholder farming, and human and consumer rights in March 2022 to map out the negative impacts of how protein is currently being produced, and to identify pathways for a shift toward a just, humane and sustainable protein system in Asia.
“Asia’s footprint as the largest meat producing region with significant growth forecast over the next 10 years is of great concern, will spike the region’s greenhouse gas emissions. The projection that Southeast Asia will become the fastest growing importer of soya for animal feed by 2022, will further aggravate climate change by threatening biodiversity and forest conservation. Given this context, the Communique titled ‘Asia Civil Society Call for a Just, Humane and Sustainable Protein Transition’ and its advocacy strategy, is an important and timely initiative to disrupt this unsustainable and climate-damaging trend,” said Nithi Nesadurai, Director and Regional Coordinator of Climate Action Network Southeast Asia.
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Media Contacts:
Elodie Guillon, network manager, World Animal Protection, +66818603483, elodieguillon@worldanimalprotection.org
David Garrahy, external affairs manager, World Animal Protection, +32 470 17 44 87, DavidGarrahy@worldanimalprotection.org
Shweta Sood, head of programme, 50by40, + 91 99717 56347, shweta.sood@50by40.org
Madeline Bove, media relations specialist, Humane Society International, 213-248-1548, mbove@humanesociety.org
Notes to editors:
The communique calls on world leaders at COP27 to put a halt to further expansion of factory farming systems and to recognise that a just, humane and sustainable protein transition is crucial to ensure that our global food system is in alignment with the goals of the Paris Agreement, the Convention on Biological Diversity, the objectives of the UN Food Summit and the UN Sustainable Development Goals.
According to the latest IPCC report, global carbon emissions need to be cut by at least 43% in the next eight years if we are to have any chance of meeting the 1.5 C warming target. The IPCC report also noted that even if fossil fuel emissions were halted now, current trends in global food systems emissions would make it impossible to reach the Paris Agreement goal
Globally, the livestock sector already accounts for at least 14.5% of current global greenhouse gas emissions, according to United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).
Under a “business-as-usual” scenario, livestock production is projected to take up 81% of the global 1.5°C GHG budget by 2050, according to GRAIN and the Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy (IATP).
Fur-free pledge follows Mytheresa’s 2021 exotic skins ban
Humane Society International / Europe
Mark Hicken, Alamy Stock photo
MUNICH—Luxury German online fashion retailer Mytheresa has announced it is going fur-free. The platform of more than 200 international designers will be phasing out existing fur inventory by the end of 2022. The ban will cover fur from factory-farmed animals such as mink, fox, chinchilla, muskrat, rabbit, raccoon dog, sable and karakul lamb, as well as fur from wild animals such as coyote and beaver.
The compassionate stance follows the retailer’s decision to ban exotic skins from species including but not limited to python, lizard, alligator, crocodile, ostrich, shark, kangaroo and stingray, since Spring/Summer this year. The pledge has been welcomed by the Germany director for Humane Society International, part of the Humane Society family of organisations, which helped negotiate the fur-free pledge with Mytheresa.
Michael Kliger, CEO of Mytheresa, said: “At Mytheresa, we believe that sustainability is an important part of our future strategy and this view is clearly shared by our customers, partners and employees. As we already stopped buying Exotic Skins in Spring/Summer 2021, it was clear that going fur-free is the natural next step for Mytheresa. We are proud to be making this change and thank the Humane Society of the United States, Four Paws and the Fur Free Alliance for supporting this policy.”
Mytheresa developed its animal welfare policy in collaboration with the Humane Society of the United States, and in accordance with the guidelines of the Fur Free Retailer program. The program is supported by the Fur Free Alliance, an international coalition of more than 50 leading animal welfare and environmental protection organisations. The retailer states that its new policy is in line with the changing needs and ethical choices of its customers, and that it will rely on innovation to continuously seek more sustainable alternatives.
Sylvie Kremerskothen Gleason, Germany director for Humane Society International/Europe, welcomed the pledge and said it’s time for Germany to also ban the sale of cruel fur: “We welcome Mytheresa’s compassionate pledge to go fur-free. This pledge reflects the ethical concerns and demands of consumers and puts the company shoulder to shoulder with some of the most respected names in luxury and designer fashion, such as HUGO BOSS, Canada Goose, Oscar de la Renta, Gucci, Prada, Chanel and Versace, in rejecting fur. We now need the German government to strongly advocate for a Europe-wide ban on fur production and to take appropriate action.”
Despite fur farming bans in many European Union countries, the EU still breeds and kills almost 38 million animals a year on fur farms, which causes immense animal suffering and poses a high public health risk, as many COVID-19 cases in fur farms across Europe have proven.
PJ Smith, director of fashion policy for the Humane Society of the United States, said: “We applaud Mytheresa for its decision to stop selling fur and exotic skins. Animal welfare policies like Mytheresa’s will help drive the demand for innovative materials that are better for animals and the planet and should be part of every company’s environmental, social and corporate governance strategy.”
Humane Society International is dedicated to working with all apparel companies to adopt fur-free policies because they have the capacity to save hundreds of thousands—perhaps millions—of animals from cruelty. HSI’s fur farm investigations show the unbearable existence that animals endure on fur farms before being brutally killed.
Fur facts:
More than 100 million animals are killed for their fur every year worldwide including mink, foxes, raccoon dogs, chinchillas and rabbits – that’s equal to three animals dying every second, just for their fur.
Germany introduced new animal welfare legislation in 2017, with a five-year transition period, that required stricter standards on fur farms such as increased cages sizes and swimming basins for mink. The new regulations meant that fur farming was no longer deemed profitable and this led to the closure of the last remaining mink farm in 2019, before the new measures came into force. Up to this day, the German government has not introduced an official fur production ban.
Mink on more than 420 mink fur farms across 12 countries (including 10 EU member states) have been found infected with COVID-19, leading to mass culls. The potential for zoonotic disease spread, and for mink fur farms in particular to act as reservoirs for coronaviruses, incubating pathogens transmissible to humans, is another compelling reason for governments around the world to call time on fur, by banning farming and sales. Download HSI’s white paper on fur farms and pandemic risks.
Fur farming has been banned and/or is in the process of being phased-out in numerous European nations such as Austria, Belgium, Bosnia-Herzegovina, the Czech Republic, Croatia, Estonia, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, North Macedonia, Norway, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia and the United Kingdom. In late 2020 the government in Hungary declared a ban on the fur farming of animals including mink and foxes, and in June this year Ireland confirmed it is preparing legislation to end the practice. France, Bulgaria, Lithuania, Montenegro, Poland and Ukraine are considering fur farming bans.
Earlier this year Israel became the first country in the world to ban the sale of fur. In the United States, California became the first US state to ban fur sales in 2019 following similar bans in cities including Los Angeles, San Francisco, Berkeley and West Hollywood. The towns of Weston and Wellesley in Massachusetts and the city of Ann Arbor in Michigan have also recently banned fur sales, and more US cities and states are looking to follow suit in the future. In the United Kingdom, the government is also considering a fur sales ban and recently held a public consultation which received 30,000 responses.
Mytheresa’s statement on fur can be found in detail here.
