We hear from the Botswana press that the Government in that country has written to George Eustice, the new Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs in the UK.
In the letter, reportedly written by Philda Kereng, Botswana’s Minister of Environment, Natural Resources, Conservation and Tourism, she expressed her “discomfort” at the UK’s handling of the public consultation on whether the UK should ban hunting trophy imports. She wrote this a week AFTER the deadline for submission!
Whilst there is a volume of scientific evidence to show that trophy hunting is NOT sustainable in the long term, she maintains that she “stands ready to provide Defra with significant and accurate evidence” to demonstrate “the importance of hunting as a conservation tool”.
None of this “evidence” is publicly available and certainly has not been forthcoming for the UK’s Public Consultation and Call for Evidence. Indeed, the full content of her letter shows little difference from the hunting rhetoric we have seen so many times and her assertions and conclusions therein sadly demonstrate a concerning lack of understanding of conservation.
It is so very sad to see a country that was once so proud of its stance against trophy hunting writing letters such as has been sent to Defra.
On a positive note,:
Lion trophy hunting is still, for the moment, banned in Botswana (hunting is again allowed of elephants, leopards and other plains game).
Meanwhile, COVID -19 has resulted in Botswana closing its borders so no foreign hunters are allowed in whilst this crisis continues, meaning that Botswana’s hunting season and all the animals offered as trophies are now suspended.

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