Ian Khama has urged British MPs to ‘put a stop to this cruelty, this slaughter, greed and the wholesale destruction of nature’ as a Tory MP’s Bill is debated later this month
A former African President has urged British MPs to ban trophy hunting imports. Ian Khama, who led Botswana from 2008 to 2018, called on UK voters to lobby their MPs to back a block. He sent a video to the Campaign to Ban Trophy Hunting, supporting its fight to stop hunters bringing their sick souvenirs back to Britain. The demand comes as MPs gear up for a Commons vote on the measure, due later this month.
In the 71-second film, Mr Khama holds a model elephant as he says:
“Later in this month of November, Members of Parliament in the UK will be debating a Bill that seeks to ban the import of trophies from hunting.
“There has been an enormous decline in the numbers of wildlife around the world, and a significant contributor to this fast diminishing jewel of nature is the slaughter of many species purely for enjoyment and the pleasure of inflicting death on our planet’s wonderful creatures.
“This is being done by hunters from the United Kingdom, amongst others.”
He adds: “Please demand of your Member of Parliament to support the Bill that will be put before Parliament and put a stop to this cruelty, this slaughter, greed and the wholesale destruction of nature. Thank you.”
The long-promised Tory ban would finally stop hunters bringing animal skins, severed heads and carcasses back to Britain after shoots abroad. Hopes of an imminent ban were revived in May when a section of the Queen’s Speech pack outlining the Government’s priorities read: “We are … committed to legislation to ban the import of hunting trophies from thousands of species.”
But there was no indication of a timetable. New Environment Secretary Therese Coffey is under pressure to back Conservative MP Henry Smith’s Private Member’s Bill introducing a ban – a measure included in the 2019 Tory manifesto and the party’s Action Plan for Animal Welfare. Page 54 of the election blueprint pledged: “We will … ban imports from trophy hunting of endangered animals.” Campaigners want MPs to get behind Mr Smith’s Hunting Trophies (Import Prohibition) Bill when it returns to Parliament for its Second Reading on November 25.
Welcoming Khama’s intervention, Eduardo Goncalves, founder of the Mirror-backed Campaign to Ban Trophy Hunting, said:
“President Khama’s video is a much-needed call to action to make sure MPs are listening to voters.
“We should all do as he asks and get in touch with our local MP straight away.
“It’s time to consign trophy hunting to the dustbin of history.”
He added: “We need to remind MPs that nine out of 10 voters want this ban brought in immediately.
“The ban is backed by Britain’s leading animal welfare and wildlife conservation groups and by the vast majority of scientists, African groups and others who took part in the Government’s extensive public consultation.”
Source: https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/politics/former-botswana-president-urges-british-28437042
