MP John Spellar claims victory on hunting trophies after Government pledge
An MP has claimed victory in his campaign to ban the import of hunting trophies into the country after the move was backed by ministers.
John Spellar has been lobbying the Government to put an end to the "vile trade" and has put forward his own piece of legislation on the issue.
The Hunting Trophy (Prohibition) Bill has already attracted the backing of celebrities Dame Judi Dench, Ricky Gervais and Peter Egan.
And now it has been confirmed the Government will introduce its own bill – one of the "toughest in the world" to ban the trade illegal trade.
Mr Spellar, MP for Warley, said: "I am absolutely delighted that the Government is finally bringing forward this legislation.
"I pay tribute to the work of fellow MPs and campaigners who have put enough pressure on the Government to get them to take action and stop delaying and dithering. They must bring this legislation before Parliament straight away."
The new bill will ban the import of hunting trophies from thousands of endangered and threatened species into Great Britain including lions, rhinos, buffalos, elephants, and polar bears – with the move protecting around 7,000 species.
It will protect nearly 6,000 animals that are currently threatened by international trade and will also cover more than 1,000 additional species which are considered near-threatened or worse, such as the African buffalo, zebra and reindeer.
Environment Secretary George Eustice, who announced the move, said: "More animal species are now threatened with extinction than ever before in human history and we are appalled at the thought of hunters bringing back trophies and placing more pressure on some of our most iconic and endangered animals.
"This would be one of the toughest bans in the world, and goes beyond our manifesto commitment, meaning we will be leading the way in protecting endangered animals and helping to strengthen and support long-term conservation."
Eduardo Gonçalves, founder of the Campaign to Ban Trophy Hunting, added: "The Government’s bill looks set to be the strongest ban in the world. This is the leadership that we have been calling for to save endangered species and help bring this terrible trade to an end.
"Wildlife needs this ban. Endangered animals are cruelly and needlessly killed every day, and many of them are brought back to Britain as trophies.
"I urge the government to bring the bill to Parliament as soon as possible, and will be asking MPs and Peers to get behind it."
