Born Free welcomes progress towards UK hunting trophy ban
Bill to ban trophy imports passes its second stage in the House of Commons.
Born Free has welcomed the progress of Labour MP John Spellar’s Hunting Trophies (Import Prohibition) Bill, which passed its Second Reading in the House of Commons on 22nd March with the full support of government articulated by DEFRA Minister Rebecca Pow MP.
The Private Member’s Bill, which would ban the import into the UK of hunting trophies from threatened and internationally protected species, will now move to its Committee and Report stages in the Commons.
An identical Bill, tabled last year by the Conservative MP Henry Smith, successfully navigated all stages in the Commons before being scuppered in the House of Lords by a small number of pro-hunting Peers.
Reacting to the news, Born Free’s Head of Policy Dr Mark Jones said:
“Trophy hunting is an abhorrent activity which deserves to be consigned to history. A ban on hunting trophy imports carries the overwhelming support of the public, and cross-party support in Parliament, and has been a longstanding government commitment. We welcome John Spellar’s Bill’s successful passage and thank our supporters for their help in securing the support of MPs. We urge all Parliamentarians to continue to support the Bill, so we can see a ban in place well in advance of a General Election.”
Born Free is ethically opposed to the hunting or killing of any animal for sport or pleasure, and challenges the claims made by proponents of trophy hunting that it delivers significant conservation and community benefits, or that it positively contributes to the sustainable use of wildlife.
Find out more about Born Free’s work to end trophy hunting: