Trophy import ban bill absent from King’s Speech

The first King’s Speech for 70 years was expected to propose the resurrection of the Hunting Trophies (Import Prohibition) Bill; however, it was omitted. The bill was timed out in the House of Lords last September and the government did not allot any further dates for discussion.

The governments of the African nations whose economies and ecologies this bill would affect most heavily are strongly against the ban, claiming it is a form of neocolonialism.

Surveys took place in Botswana, Namibia, South Africa, Tanzania, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Malawi and Mozambique, where 57% of respondents agreed that “the British Government’s decision to place such restrictions despite African governments’ objections is neocolonial”.

Author and firearms expert Diggory Hadoke told ST: “The omission of a trophy hunting ban in the King’s Speech is great news for the African communities who rely on sport hunters for work and income. It is great news for the anti-poaching wardens who are directly funded by hunters’ dollars, and it will, hopefully, indicate a shift
in Government focus from populist, tabloid pressure, based on misinformation.”