A growing coalition of celebrities, campaigners, and animal welfare advocates is calling on the U.K. government to press ahead with its promised ban on trophy hunting imports. This action is happening after reports suggested the measure had been delayed.
Critics said any pause in action would mean more body parts from wild animals could continue entering the country,
Athletes, actors, and other celebrities have now penned a letter to Prime Minister Keir Starmer, urging him to produce a schedule for a ban on the trophy hunting imports. One signatory of the letter was actress Dame Joanna Lumley, who described the situation to the Mirror as "heartbreaking and frankly shameful."
Part of the anger around the lack of a ban stems from leading parties claiming to want one but not acting on it. In the letter, the coalition pointed this out, saying, "A hunting trophies bill has already been drafted by civil servants… [and] passed all stages in the House of Commons in 2023."
The text of the letter also pointed out, "8 out of 10 voters back an immediate ban….[with] broad cross-party backing."
Campaigners say a long-promised ban on bringing in trophies from animals of conservation concern is now expected to not be featured in the upcoming King's Speech. The Labour Party initially promised to include the policy in its agenda.
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This fight for a ban has been ongoing for quite some time. Back in 2016, famed wildlife expert Sir David Attenborough told the media, "It's what people did in the 19th century. One would've thought people would've gotten over that. But apparently there are still people who get a kick out of [it] ... something I find incomprehensible."
However, it appears that the American government is pressuring the U.K. to not approve such a ban.
Doug Burgum, the Secretary of the Interior, also wrote a letter to the U.K. Environment Secretary. Burgum stated that trophy hunting is actually good for animal conservation and the communities that house the hunted animals.
If the U.K. ultimately moves ahead with the ban, supporters say it would mark a meaningful step toward protecting wildlife. It would respect public opinion and build a future where conservation works for both animals and communities.
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