A short article by five researchers from Great Britain, Australia and Namibia, the title of which is shown above in capital letters, has been published on August 30 in the Letters section in one of the world's leading scientific journals "Science . This letter was also signed by 128 scientists (27 from Oxford University), public figures from many European and African countries, from Canada, Australia and the USA, from Afghanistan, Iraq, China, Tajikistan (there were no Russians among the signatories). The International Council for the Conservation of Game and Wildlife (CIC) posted this article in open access on its website yesterday. It's titled the "Science is above Emotions” (clck.ru/Hubmb). Below is my technical translation of the article.
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Amy Dickman, Rosie Cooney, Paul J. Johnson, Maxi Pia Louis, Dilys Roe, and 128 signatories
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Trophy hunting is under public pressure now: noisy campaigns are underway to ban it; several governments have passed laws against it (1). The Bill CECIL (2) – "Conserving Ecosystems by Ceasing the Importation of Large Animal Trophies Act” was introduced in Congress of the United States on 04/10/2019, was discussed at a hearing held by the Subcommittee on Waters, Oceans and Wildlife of the Committee on Natural Resources on 07/18/2019. - S. Matveychuk] provides for the ban for the import of trophies of lions and elephants from Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe, the restriction of the import [from anywhere of all] species of animals listed as endangered or endangered by the US Endangered Species Act. Australia, the Netherlands and France have also restricted the import of trophies (1), and the UK is under appropriate pressure.
All calls for hunting bans are usually justified by concern for the preservation of [nature]. However, there is convincing evidence that the prohibition of trophy hunting will have a negative impact on conservation.
It's a fact that in African countries where trophy hunting is on the high level of development, more lands have been preserved than by creating national parks (3), and the cessation of trophy hunting is fraught with risks of transformation [development of untouched or intact] lands and loss of biodiversity (4). Poor management of trophy hunting can cause the decline of local populations (5), but in the absence of more effective alternatives to land use, hunting reform - proven to be effective (6) - should take precedence over prohibitions (7). The positive effects of properly regulated hunting on populations have been demonstrated for many species, including rhinoceroses, markhors, argali, rhinoceroses and many African ungulates (7).
Trophy hunting can also generate income for marginalized, poor rural communities (7). There is the lack of other alternatives; opponents of hunting promote its replacement with photo tourism, but many hunting areas are remote or ineffective to attract enough visitors (8). Species like lions are in the worst position, especially in areas where there is no photo tourism or trophy hunting (9); uncontrolled killing can be much more common there than in hunting areas, with serious consequences for the conservation and welfare of animals (10). Focusing on trophy hunting distracts attention from the main threats to wildlife.
The World Conservation Organization - the International Union for the Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN) – has given a clear conclusion that " trophy hunting can and does have a positive impact with effective regulation and management” for the conservation of [wild animals] and the livelihood of local communities (7). The IUCN calls for a number of steps to be taken before decisions are made limiting or terminating trophy hunting programs. (7) It's made despite the existence of problems worthy of consideration for improving [trophy hunting], including in the areas of public administration, management, transparency of financial flows, and ensuring benefits for communities (11). It's critically, African countries have announced a "New Deal" for rural communities (12), which allows them to act independently in the areas of sustainable wildlife management and poverty reduction. The international community has an obligation not to undermine this course.
Some people (including many of us) find trophy hunting disgusting, but an environmental policy, which is not based on science, poses a threat to habitat and biological diversity, fraught with the impotence and ruin of rural communities.
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References and notes
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1. E.Ares,“Trophy hunting,” House of Commons Library Briefing Paper Number 7908 (2019); https://researchbriefings.parliament.uk/Research…/…/CBP-7908.
2. U.S. Congress, H.R.2245 – CECIL Act (2019);www.congress.gov/bill/116th-congress/house-bill/2245/text.
3. P.A.Lindsey, P.A.Roulet, S.S.Romanach, Biol. Conserv. 134, 455 (2007).
4. E. Di Minin et al., Conserv. Biol. 27, 808 (2013).
5. C.Packer et al., Conserv. Biol. 25, 142 (2011).
6. C.M.Begg, J.R.B.Miller, K.S.Begg, J. Appl. Ecol. 55, 139 (2018).
7. IUCN,“Informing decisions on trophy hunting”(IUCN,Gland, Switzerland, 2016).
8. C.W.Winterbach, C.Whitesell, M.J.Somers, PLOS One 10, e0135595 (2015).
9. P.A.Lindsey et al., Biol. Conserv. 209, 137 (2017).
10. A.J.Dickman, in Conflicts in Conservation: Navigating Towards Solutions, S.M.Redpath, R.J.Gutierrez, K.A.Wood, J.C.Young, Eds. (Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, 2015), pp. 30–32.
11. IUCN SSC, “Guiding principles on trophy hunting as a tool for conservation incentives v 1.0” (IUCN SSC, Gland, Switzerland, 2012). [For the Russian-language version of the document (and about it), see the Hunting Studies page: Vkontakt – clck.ru/HudmC; in Facebook –clck.ru/FHmjS.]
12. Southern Africa Trust, “Declaration – Voices of the communities: A new deal for rural communities and wildlife and natural resources” (2019);www.southernafricatrust.org/…/declaration-voices-of-the-co…/.
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List of Signatories [список подписантов, https://science.sciencemag.org/conte…/365/6456/874/suppl/DC1
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S.P. Matveichuk
Source:
Source: Dickman, Amy; Cooney, Rosie; Johnson, Paul J.; Louis, Maxi Pia; Roe, Dilys; 128 signatories. Trophy hunting bans imperil biodiversity. Science. 2019. Vol. 365. Issue. 6456. P. 874. DOI: 10.1126/science.aaz0735. URL: clck.ru/Huas2 (CIC);
List of signatories of the article (128 persons): clck.ru/HucTj
