READING East MP Matt Rodda has been named as one of the members who sits on a new committee which oversees a bill banning “trophy” hunting.
The House of Commons committee handled the bill which looks to impose one of the world’s toughest ban on hunting “trophies.”
The Hunting Trophies Import Prohibition bill proposes banning hunters from bringing body parts of threatened species from abroad, and was debated by the committee on Wednesday, January 25.
The bill was proposed by Henry Smith, Conservative MP for Crawley, who also led the committee.
Matt Rodda MP said: “I’m pleased to be involved in a bill to introduce the world’s toughest trophy hunting ban.
“The Hunting Trophies (Import Prohibition) Bill proposes to ban British trophy hunters from bringing back body parts of threatened species from Africa and other parts of the world.
“Animal populations have plummeted in the last 100 years with trophy hunting partly to blame. Support for the world’s toughest ban comes from scientists, conservation groups and politicians.”
The Convention on International Trade of Endangered Species lists elephants, hippos, leopards, zebra, and lions as among the most popular African animals killed by British hunters.
Around 5,000 of these “trophies” from CITES-listed endangered species are thought to have been brought back to the UK since 1980.
Professor Phyllis Lee, director of science for the Amboseli Trust for Elephants and a member of the House of Lords Elephant Welfare Group, added: “Elephants are declining too rapidly to be able to sustain themselves.
“They will potentially become extinct within 50 years– the proposed bill will help all threatened species.
“It will show the world the UK is taking action against a barbaric practice.
President Ian Khama of Botswana, in office from 2008-2018, banned all trophy hunting in Botswana and has also given the bill his blessing.
He said: “The ban I introduced worked– by the time I left office, Botswana had twice as many elephants as any other African country.
“We had one-third of all Africa’s elephants. And it meant we were playing our part in preserving our planet.
“To kill an animal for a ‘trophy’ is immoral– it is completely alien to African culture and traditions.”
Dr Hans Bauer, of Oxford University’s Wildlife Conservation Research Unit, led the IUCN’s recent assessment of lion populations.
He said: “Trophy hunting is linked to declining numbers of lions throughout its range.
“Trophy hunting is standing in the way of progress because a small white elite, together with their clients, have exclusive access to the land.”
The bill was introduced in the Commons in June last year, and has passed the committee stage.
It is now due for a third reading in the Commons, though a date has yet to be confirmed, following the report stage.
If it is accepted on the third reading, it will go through to the House of Lords.
