Push for ban on Australians taking part in 'canned hunts

[NP99]

The Federal Government is planning to ask South Africa to ban Australians from taking part in 'canned' trophy hunting in that country.

Environment Minister Greg Hunt revealed the Government's intentions just days after the importation of rhino body part trophies was outlawed.

Many of the trophies come from so-called 'canned hunts', where animals including lions and zebras are bred and farmed for the sole purpose of being killed in mock enclosed hunts.

Domestic political opposition to the practice has been led by Victorian Liberal backbencher Jason Wood, who has successfully lobbied the Government into cracking down on trophy imports.

The Government is investigating how to extend the import ban to African lion body parts.

Mr Hunt says he is planning to write to the South African government to prevent Australians who travel there from taking part in canned hunts, which he describes as "sick and wrong".

"We can't stop the practice in Africa or elsewhere," Mr Hunt told Radio 2SM.

"But we can shine a spotlight on it, and say Australia is taking steps and we want to be a world leader in protecting these great species."

Mr Hunt vowed to bring up the matter with the South African government and seek their cooperation in refusing licences for Australians wanting to take part in canned hunts.

But James Paterson from the free market Institute of Public Affairs think tank has questioned why Mr Hunt is trying to tell another country what to do.

"The Government appears to be asking South Africa to have special laws for Australians who visit," Mr Paterson said.

"Australians would never tolerate a foreign government dictating what can be done within our borders, and equally it is not the role of the Australian government to interfere with lawful activities in other countries."

[threedogs]

put this in the bow hunting thread early in the week.
There are thousands of lion farms all over Africa.
Pic is from National geographics

[NP99]

I just wouldn't feel good taking one of those majestic creatures...

[macca]

We visited Sth Africa in 2010, one of the lodges had a trophy hunters magazine.
We were a bit shocked only because we were so naïve.
We asked the owner and he explained the system to us, it is business for sure and it is not real hunting. It is killing a selected animal in an enclosed paddock for a fee.
No tracking is involved, quite often shot from or beside the Safari Vehicle.
BUT, the money raised keeps the property viable, goes into conservation and controls numbers to keep it all in balance.
We did not like the sound of it but it employed lots of people where work is scarce.
We were told Kruger has twice the number of elephants it can sustain but the fall out from culling them is stopping the government from trying to manage the park properly.
Look at the crap we cop for culling roos.

[threedogs]

There was another picture of the lion skeletons hanging on a fence.
these they say will be sold to the chinese for medicinal purposes.
Saves shooting a Tiger, I suppose.
Im like most , how on earth could you shoot one, maybe it would be different if we lived there
I know a cancer was affecting a certain region and you paid to cull these sick animals.

[mudski]

I just wouldn't feel good taking one of those majestic creatures...

I would feel good driving a screw driver in the hunters chest though. I would understand if the animals are in plague proportions but they are not.

[NP99]

Culling makes sense....trophies for trophies sake is just poor form!

[paulyg]

Should not even be called hunting, does not resemble any kind of hunting I now.

[macca86]

I wouldn't do it" I only hunt for the table or feral animals on our family farm. I'd like to see canned hunting stopped but there is another side to the story.

These are managed parks often over populated with animals to prevent poachers etc. the money raised by these "hunters" is used for the purchase of feed more land for conservation and injected into the local community plus the meat is normally given to the local tribes etc. yes people eat lion elephant zebra etc it's their native foods.

I'm not defending it but I am open to it if the positives out weigh the negatives.

[macca]

Really don't know what to think, the bush meat to the communities is a good thing. The money as well.
Bit of the old Raj and the great white hunter, to kill an animal for a trophy... I don't know. Some people have too much money.
It wasn't them against the elements that's what really bugs me, some are basically let out of a pen and destroyed by some wealthy gun owner in hunting garb who paid ridiculous money to kill a Rhino or whatever, we were told some animals fetch $50000.00 FFS.
They must be so proud of their trophy rooms.