More than 120,000 animals are killed by big game hunters every year in Africa alone. After Americans, Germans are among the sad leaders in trophy hunting. The shooting of particularly rare, healthy and impressive animals leads to unnatural selection and has fatal consequences for animal populations. Trophy hunting thus undermines international species protection efforts. In addition, travel offers are also marketed at Jagd & Hund that include hunting methods that are prohibited in Germany, such as bow hunting. In the 2020 election campaign, the current Lord Mayor, Westphal, promised that if he took office, an ethics committee would be set up to objectively examine the topic of trophy hunting and the corresponding marketing at the trade fair. To date, this ethics committee has not been set up.
The exhibition conditions of the fair explicitly point out that the marketing of «shooting opportunities» for bred animals and animals from gate husbandry is prohibited. This applies, for example, to unnatural color variants of antelopes and the gate hunt for bred lions. Also this year there are exhibitors at Jagd & Hund who have these offers in their portfolio.
In a recent survey, 89 percent of Germans are against the import of hunting trophies to Germany. In South Africa, one of the most popular destinations for German hunting tourists along with Namibia, 68 percent of those surveyed across all walks of life reject trophy hunting. Some of the world’s largest travel providers, including Booking.com, TripAdvisor and the Expedia group, have called on the South African government to end trophy hunting and embrace a wildlife-friendly future. 170 NGOs from all over the world are also calling for an end to trophy hunting and the European Parliament recently positioned itself in favor of an EU-wide import ban on hunting trophies. The Netherlands, Finland and Belgium already ban the import of hunting trophies of certain species. This is also being discussed in Great Britain, Belgium, Italy, Spain and Poland. In addition, Italy’s largest hunting fair in Vicenza was recently canceled due to concerns about ecological values. “Given the dramatic biodiversity crisis we are living through, the overwhelming majority of people understand that we cannot afford to recklessly sell off our species. It is sad and incomprehensible that a small minority prevents effective animal and species protection at the expense of everyone. A consistent change of course is overdue – also from Dortmund! «Appeals Dr. Mona Schweizer from Pro Wildlife.
Background:
- According to data from the Federal Agency for Nature Conservation (BfN), trophies of 2,988 animals of internationally protected species were imported to Germany between 2017 and 2021, including 110 leopards, 107 brown bears, 117 hippos, 92 elephants, 80 lions, 12 white rhinos, 6 polar bears and a black rhino.
- On January 1, 2023, the federal government withdrew from the International Council for the Conservation of Game and Wildlife (CIC) because «one does not agree with the CIC’s handling of the killing of animals in the form of trophies» and the CIC in repeatedly opposed an import ban on hunting trophies in recent years. The CIC is the official partner of Jagd & Hund.
- In an open letter to the mayor and the city council, more than 90 animal and species protection organizations and experts from Africa and the world call for an end to the trophy hunting offers at the Dortmund hunting fair.
This press release is supported by:
- Pro Wildlife e. V
- Animals United e. V
- BBT – Alliance of Bavarian Animal Rights Organizations
- Association against the abuse of animals e. V
- German Legal Society for Animal Welfare Law e. V
- German Animal Welfare Association V
- ElasmOcean e. V
- Future for Elephants e. V
- Society for Nature Conservation and Floodplain Development e. V
- Jane Goodall Institute – Germany e. V
- Committee Against Bird Killing e. V
- People for Animal Rights – Federal Association of Animal Experimentation Opponents e. V
- PETA Germany e. V
- Save the rainforest e. V
- Save the Elephants of Africa e. V
- SAVE Wildlife Conservation Foundation
- Foundation for the animal in law
- Association of German Scuba Divers e. V
- – Foundation for Animal Welfare
- Bird Protection Committee e. V
- Wildlife Conservation Germany e. V
- Wild animal protection association – umbrella organization for wild animal protection e. V
You can find more information about ‘ commitment to wildlife here.
Martin Rittershofen is available for interviews.