Trophy embargo
While there have been many column inches devoted to the untimely death of Cecil the lion, one practical thing both the Scottish Government and UK Government could do is lobby the European Commission to prevent big game hunters from bringing their so-called “trophies” into the EU.
Tighter rules preventing limited importation of these items came into force in February, with lion skins and bones from three countries in west Africa banned because of their endangered populations. There are considerable fears that Africa’s lion population is on the brink of collapse, with numbers falling by 42 per cent in the past 21 years to around 30,000, and trophy hunting is recognised as a major factor in the decline.
Instead of focusing our anger solely on the actions of Walter Palmer, let us try and deliver something positive out of this situation and lobby our politicians to step up to the mark and restrict the import of these horrific items.
Alex Orr
Leamington Terrace
Edinburgh