Warnings trophy-hunting ban could be ‘thwarted’ as Tory peers express concerns

A proposed ban on trophy hunting imports is at risk of being “thwarted” by Conservative peers who claim it harms efforts to protect endangered animals.

The Hunting Trophies (Import Prohibition) Bill cleared its first hurdle in the House of Lords by receiving an unopposed second reading on Friday.

But a group of Conservative peers expressed reservations about the proposals, with amendments expected to be tabled which could derail the planned legislation.

The Bill, sponsored by Conservative MP Henry Smith and party colleague Baroness Fookes, would ban the import of hunting trophies from species of conservation concern and is supported by the Government, Labour and the Liberal Democrats.

It has already been approved by the House of Commons, but peers heard that the limited parliamentary time set aside for Private Members’ Bills means any amendments approved by the Lords will have the “practical effect of killing the Bill”.

Conservative former minister Lord Swire said the Bill has a “somewhat high-handed and neocolonial tone” as he argued the UK should work with the countries that will be affected by it, not against them, in order to “put in place the best possible protocols which enhance conservation”.

Conservative Lord Mancroft outlined that he will table a “conservation amendment” to introduce a “small but hugely important tweak” to the Bill.

He said: “This would allow that if there was a demonstrable conservation benefit from the hunting, a trophy could be imported.”

Lord Mancroft added: “This simple amendment will address the concerns of those scientific conservationists who have been critical of this Bill and I believe will also satisfy the African, Eastern European and Asian governments who have been unanimous in voicing their concerns.

“It will turn this Bill from one that will do much more harm than good into one that will genuinely advance the conservation of vulnerable species.”

Lord Mancroft said he looks forward to working with Lady Fookes and environment minister Lord Benyon to “get this Bill on the statute book in a way we can all support”.

But Liberal Democrat Lord Rennard said he had seen other Private Members’ Bills “thwarted” as a result of “unnecessary amendments” being tabled.

He said: “We should all be aware that any amendments passed by the Lords will also need to be agreed by the House of Commons and that no more sitting Fridays are scheduled in the Commons for such business to be considered.

“Therefore, any amendments passed in the Lords will have the practical effect of killing the Bill.”

Others to express concerns over the Bill included Conservative Lord Lucas, who said: “We may not like trophy hunting, but the proceeds of trophy hunting flowing into a well-managed conservation effort are immensely beneficial to wildlife.

“We’re asking African people to live alongside lions and elephants, and yet if you look at the debates in this country of the (Eurasian) lynx – a little baby cat – we really ought to understand what it is we’re asking of these people.”

Conservative former minister Lord Hamilton of Epsom criticised the “very bad Bill” before noting: “I’d love to be able to say I’m not a trophy hunter and this has never appealed to me as something I want to do.

“Well actually, I’ve shot a significant number of red stags in Scotland and have on occasion taken their horns down to England where I live.

“So, therefore, I suppose I have to qualify as a trophy hunter but it’s quite difficult to say that I’m not one, but certainly it’s never been in any way something that’s appealed to me to shoot a magnificent beast in Africa but it does bring significant income into those countries.”

Shadow environment spokeswoman Baroness Hayman of Ullock reiterated Labour’s support for the Bill, saying: “The economic benefits generated from trophy hunting have also often been overstated with only a small proportion of the revenue actually reaching local communities or conservation programmes.”

For the Government, Lord Benyon said: “It’s also right that we listen to the British public and there’s a clear and strong message to bring an end to the import of endangered animals taken for the purpose of trophies.

“The Bill before us will, therefore, fulfil our manifesto commitment to do just that, and in doing so it will help us better protect some of the world’s most endangered species.”

On whether there will be extra time to consider the Bill if amendments are made by peers, Lord Benyon said: “I can’t give him an assurance, I don’t know, I haven’t spoken in detail about that.”

Concluding the debate, Lady Fookes said: “I have been called many things in my time but to be referred to as a neocolonialist is a new one for me. I would have thought it would apply more appropriately to those who wish to perpetuate the trophy hunting culture.”

The Bill is expected to undergo further scrutiny at committee stage at a later date.

Earlier this year environment minister Trudy Harrison declared that Cecil the lion had “not died in vain” when the Bill cleared the Commons.

Cecil was a 13-year-old male African lion living in a national park in Zimbabwe, who was killed in 2015 by an American big game hunter.

The killing resulted in international outrage, with criticism from UK MPs at the time from across the political spectrum.