New York legislators have resurrected attempts to restrict the legal import of harvested African species from the countries with the largest populations of these animals in the world—and who rely on these species to support their well-managed conservation programs.
Senate bill 3302, the “Big Five African Trophies Act,” would ban in the State of New York the importation, transportation, and possession of six major African species of wildlife: elephant, lion, leopard, black rhinoceros, white rhinoceros, and giraffe.
This legislation will undoubtedly have a negative impact on the actual conservation of these species. Trophy import prohibitions go against decades of scientific research compiled by wildlife experts in African nations, the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), the U.S. Government, and Parties to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES), among others.
As confirmed by that research, hunting generates incentives that protect habitat, reduce poaching, provide revenue for social services and infrastructure, and encourage local stakeholders to participate in the conservation of these species.
Fortunately, this proposed legislation is preempted by federal law. However, New York legislators have ignored SCI’s warnings, and are yet again wasting time on an unenforceable bill.
SCI issued a HAAC is opposition to the bill and, importantly, local African communities who would be most impacted by these emotionally driven decisions voiced strong opposition to Senate Bill 3302.
SCI Joins with African Communities in Opposition to NY Trophy Importation Bill
