The World Animal Protection (WAP) organisation has released a statement supported by major tourist organisations such as Booking.com and TripAdvisor, calling for an end to trophy hunting in South Africa.
Picture: Getaway Gallery
The statement called on the South African government, which it views as a key player in the industry, to publicly commit to ending trophy hunting in favour of non–consumptive alternatives and other economic measures that incentivise conservation and avoid the killing of wild animals.
‘Trophy hunting is a horrific and cruel practice that has egregious animal welfare and conservation and impacts. It is a sport that is legal in several Southern African countries, South Africa (RSA) being a key player.’ WAP said in a statement.
‘Ultimately, we want to end trophy hunting in South Africa, by 2030, by disrupting the systems that underpin it. In terms of our innovative solution, we aim to get South Africa to develop and adopt wildlife-friendly tourism as a viable economic and humane alternative to trophy hunting.’
The UK announced in December last year that it would ban imports of hunting trophies in an initiative to protect endangered animals.
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