AGGIORNAMENTO DEL 19 MARZO 2024 IN CODA – DELUSIONE HSI: L’EMENDAMENTO CON IL DIVIETO DICHIARATO INAMMISSIBILE
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POST DEL 12 MARZO 2024
Vietare l’import di trofei di caccia in Italia, una pratica oggi legale. A sostegno dell’iniziativa si è aperta a Roma la mostra fotografica “Natura morta. In consegna” organizzata da Humane society International. Fino al 21 marzo 2024 presso la Camera dei Deputati – Palazzo Valdina sono esposti trenta scatti di Britta Jaschinski (nella photogallery sotto), fotografa pluripremiata e co-fondatrice di Photographers Against Wildlife Crime, che ritraggono “trofei” di caccia grossa, animali trasformati in oggetti: immagini che suscitano emozioni profonde, a sostegno della campagna #NotInMyWorld, per accelerare l’introduzione in Italia di un divieto di importazione, esportazione e ri-esportazione dei trofei di caccia e proteggere animali appartenenti a specie a rischio di estinzione Cites.
Martina Pluda, Britta Jaschinski, Diana Letizia, Dolores Bevilacqua e Michela Vittoria Brambilla oggi a Roma
ALTRI PAESI UE HANNO ADOTTATO O DISCUTONO SIMILI DIVIETI
Al dibattito introduttivo moderato da Diana Letizia, direttrice editoriale di Kodami, hanno partecipato l’on. Michela Vittoria Brambilla (NM) – presidente dell’Intergruppo parlamentare per i Diritti degli animali e la Tutela dell’Ambiente, che patrocina la manifestazione -, la sen. Dolores Bevilacqua (M5s), la fotografa tedesca e Martina Pluda, direttrice per l’Italia di Hsi/Europe. “La caccia al trofeo è una vergogna. L’approvazione della proposta di legge che ho presentato metterebbe l’Italia sulla strada giusta, quella del divieto di importazione ed esportazione, già battuta da altri Paesi europei”, ha detto Brambilla. “Francia, Paesi Bassi, Finlandia e Belgio, hanno adottato o stanno discutendo un divieto di importazione di trofei di caccia di specie a rischio estinzione. Anche in Italia dobbiamo discuterne e come M5s ci impegneremo a continuare a lavorare per un divieto nazionale ed europeo”, ha concordato Bevilacqua. L’Europa, è bene ricordarlo, è il secondo importatore al mondo dopo gli Stati uniti d’America.
- African Elephant The National Wildlife Property Repository, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Denver Colorado, USA “These two stools stand for the many deeply disturbing items that are being smuggled by people all over the world. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service stores 1.5 million seized items at a warehouse in Denver, Colorado. Trolleys are used to move the confiscated items around the warehouse. I placed the body parts on this backdrop to give some dignity to the objects and pay respect to the animals who lost their lives in the name of status, greed, and entertainment.” – Britta Jaschinski The African savanna elephant, which is more commonly trophy hunted, is scientifically classified as Endangered (with a 50% population loss over the last two generations) and the African forest elephant is classified as Critically Endangered (with a 80% population loss over the last three generations) by the IUCN.* The significant loss of African elephants is due in large part to habitat loss, fragmentation and degradation and to the poaching crisis where elephants are killed for their ivory tusks to sell into markets as carvings, trinkets, jewelry and other commodities and status symbols. Trophy hunting, however, continues to be allowed despite these ongoing threats. * Gobush, K.S., Edwards, C.T.T, Balfour, D., Wittemyer, G., Maisels, F. & Taylor, R.D. 2022. Loxodonta africana (amended version of 2021 assessment). The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2022: e.T181008073A223031019. Gobush, K.S., Edwards, C.T.T, Maisels, F., Wittemyer, G., Balfour, D. & Taylor, R.D. 2021. Loxodonta cyclotis (errata version published in 2021). The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2021: e.T181007989A204404464. https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2021-1.RLTS.T181007989A204404464.en.
- White Rhino The National Wildlife Property Repository, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Denver, Colorado, USA “Shipped in huge crates to ultimately be hung on the hunters’ walls, these white rhino hunting trophies have instead been confiscated by special agents and are now held at the Wildlife Property Repository. Whilst it is still legal to hunt certain rhinos through a paid license, in this case, the trophy hunters sold the horns into the black market to be used in traditional Chinese medicine or as a status symbol. The horns were replaced with synthetic substitutes. The illegal trade of rhino horn is regarded as a threat to national security due to the links to organized crime, corruption, and fraud— highlighting that legal hunting is a dangerous loophole for obtaining rhino horn that in turn can help fund violent, illegal activities.” – Britta Jaschinski The white rhinoceros is scientifically classified as Near Threatened with a decreasing population trend by the IUCN. Found in South Africa, Namibia, Kenya, Botswana and Zimbabwe, there are only an estimated 10,080 mature individuals left in the wild. Critical threats to their survival include hunting, poaching and climate change.* * Emslie, R. 2020. Ceratotherium simum. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2020: e.T4185A45813880.
- Cheetah, Snow Leopard, Leopard, Clouded Leopard, Jaguar, Ocelot, Cougar The Leibniz Institute for the Analysis of Biodiversity Change (LIB), Hamburg, Germany “My photographs of items seized at airports and borders across the globe are a quest to understand why some human beings continue to demand wildlife products, even if this causes suffering and, in some cases, pushes species to the brink of extinction. A rack of coats made from the skins of some of the most coveted big cats on Earth, including snow and clouded leopards, cheetahs, jaguars, and ocelots, is displayed. Confiscated by customs officers across Europe, the coats are held for educational events and to ensure they never return to the black market. This display was created with the help of authorities who seized these items across Europe.” – Britta Jaschinski In addition to being killed for their furs, many big cats also face threats from trophy hunters, habitat loss and degradation, poaching and retaliatory killings due to human-wildlife conflict. Leopards and lions are among the species that experience cascading negative impacts to the populations when a trophy hunter kills an individual for a souvenir, such as increased rates of infanticide and reduced reproductive success.
- Cheetah The National Wildlife Property Repository, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Denver Colorado, USA “Isn’t this the ultimate derogation of wild animals? Majestic animals reduced to foot stools is a prime example of the inferiority felt by hunters. Fewer than 7,100 cheetahs remain in the wild worldwide. In the Horn of Africa, the population of adult and adolescent cheetahs is estimated to be less than 500. And yet, there is still a demand for items due to the cat’s highly priced fur, skulls and other body parts. Cheetahs are a keystone predator of savanna systems and yet it in many countries is legal to hunt and export them.” – Britta Jaschinski The cheetah is scientifically classified as Vulnerable by the IUCN with only an estimated 6,517 mature individuals left in the wild. As of 2021, the cheetah is extinct in 28 of its native 57 range countries.* Cheetahs, along with leopards, are notoriously difficult to obtain comprehensive population data for. Consequently, there is significant concern within the conservation community around the validity of claims that trophy hunting of these big cats is sustainable without adequate population data. * Durant, S.M., Groom, R., Ipavec, A., Mitchell, N. & Khalatbari, L. 2023. Acinonyx jubatus (amended version of 2022 assessment). The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2023: e.T219A247393967.
- Rhino The National Wildlife Property Repository, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Denver Colorado, USA “It is as if we want to enlarge our own potency by diminishing and crippling theirs. Trophy hunting officially only involves male rhinos, but hooves from rhino cows and calves have been confiscated from hunters who seemingly took the liberty to kill an entire family of rhinos, seeing the legs and hooves as a welcoming by-product. Rhino feet are sold for US$ 1,000 – 2,000. Other products like rhino toenails, walking stick handles, a snuff bottle and rings, all made from rhino, were part of these shipments.” – Britta Jaschinski The black rhino and the northern white rhino are scientifically classified as Critically Endangered, and the southern white rhino is classified as Near Threatened by the IUCN. White rhinos, found only in South Africa, Namibia, Kenya, Botswana and Zimbabwe, have an estimated 10,080 mature individuals in the wild, though their population trend is decreasing.* In some traditional medicines, rhino horn (keratin—a protein that forms the basis of human hair and nails) is believed to have medicinal properties. European regulations have since tried to limit the legal trade in rhino horns by only permitting “worked” rhino horn, i.e., rhino horn that has been altered, carved and transformed in a meaningful way so as to deter transfer to the black market for medicinal uses. However, like in many major trophy trade countries, trophy hunters are given an exception to the rule, creating a legal loophole for the continued trade and transport of rhino horn around the globe.
- Rhino The National Wildlife Property Repository, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Denver Colorado, USA “It is as if we want to enlarge our own potency by diminishing and crippling theirs. Trophy hunting officially only involves male rhinos, but hooves from rhino cows and calves have been confiscated from hunters who seemingly took the liberty to kill an entire family of rhinos, seeing the legs and hooves as a welcoming by-product. Rhino feet are sold for US$ 1,000 – 2,000. Other products like rhino toenails, walking stick handles, a snuff bottle and rings, all made from rhino, were part of these shipments.” – Britta Jaschinski The black rhino and the northern white rhino are scientifically classified as Critically Endangered, and the southern white rhino is classified as Near Threatened by the IUCN. White rhinos, found only in South Africa, Namibia, Kenya, Botswana and Zimbabwe, have an estimated 10,080 mature individuals in the wild, though their population trend is decreasing.* In some traditional medicines, rhino horn (keratin—a protein that forms the basis of human hair and nails) is believed to have medicinal properties. European regulations have since tried to limit the legal trade in rhino horns by only permitting “worked” rhino horn, i.e., rhino horn that has been altered, carved and transformed in a meaningful way so as to deter transfer to the black market for medicinal uses. However, like in many major trophy trade countries, trophy hunters are given an exception to the rule, creating a legal loophole for the continued trade and transport of rhino horn around the globe.
- Black Rhino The National Wildlife Property Repository, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Denver Colorado, USA “Why do hunters exert this power over strong animals by weakening them, co-opting their ‘magic’ into a lucrative product? Taking ownership of a wild species and seeing wildlife as an economic resource or to be somehow used and exploited seems a common attitude amongst hunters. In this case the original hunter lost the trophy when it was seized by customs in Hong Kong, but it somehow got back into the black market and was sold years later to a trader who attempted to ship it into the US, where it was seized again.” – Britta Jaschinski The black rhino is scientifically classified as Critically Endangered by the IUCN. There are only an estimated 3,142 mature black rhino individuals left in the wild. Once the most numerous of the world’s rhino species, the black rhino’s global population has been significantly reduced by relentless hunting and habitat encroachment. Large-scale poaching between 1960-1995 to obtain their horns for traditional medicines or as status symbols pushed the species to the brink of extinction, causing a 98% reduction in their numbers.* Despite the poaching crisis, it is still legal to import black rhino hunting trophies to the EU and Italy. * Emslie, R. 2020. Diceros bicornis. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2020: e.T6557A152728945.
- Loggerhead Turtle The Leibniz Institute for the Analysis of Biodiversity Change (LIB), Hamburg, Germany “Astounded by the size of this Loggerhead turtle, I felt the urge to show it along a person for the purpose of scale. This is an endangered species, so how did someone think it could be killed and traded? Six of the seven sea turtle species are classified as threatened, endangered, or critically endangered, due largely to human impact in the form of hunting, bycatch in fishing nets, pollution, and climate change. Despite laws to protect these animals, scientists estimate that about 44,000 turtles across 65 countries were killed and exploited every year over the past decade. If sea turtles vanish, dune vegetation will lose a major source of nutrients and will not be strong enough to resist increased erosion.” – Britta Jaschinski Loggerhead turtles face a multitude of threats including fisheries bycatch, coastal development, pollution, and climate change, among others. Direct exploitation, such as use of the turtles as trophies, trinkets, jewelry, etc. or consumption/sale of their eggs, is one of the top three threats to the survival of the species. Sea turtle shell is often made into tourist souvenirs or used in luxury items such as guitar picks and glasses frames. International education campaigns aim to educate tourists about the harm in buying such souvenirs and about other ways to support local businesses when on vacation.
- African Elephant The Leibniz Institute for the Analysis of Biodiversity Change (LIB), Hamburg, Germany “I was shocked to learn that amongst trophy hunters it is a longstanding tradition to cut off the elephant’s tail to claim ownership of the animal and to express ultimate victory. I have seen photos of hunters (including Donald Trump’s son, Donald Trump Jr.) holding the tail after killing an elephant – an act of compulsive behavior to possess and control? I created this image to draw attention to the connection between trophy hunting (consumptive tourism) and biodiversity loss. The consequences of trophy hunting can include skewed population sex ratio due to selective harvesting of large males, changing population dynamics, loss of genetic diversity and increasing human- wildlife conflicts.” – Britta Jaschinski African elephants are especially susceptible to the negative impacts of targeted removals of individuals because they are long-lived, slow to reproduce, and have a complex multi-generational social structure. The prime target of trophy hunters and poachers are older elephants who provide social and ecological knowledge learned over generations; the loss of these individuals can threaten the survival of the entire social group. Older male elephants are also important for group cohesion and suppressing aggression in younger males. Selective offtake of African elephants can also cause dire genetic and population structure consequences, including smaller tusk sizes over generations, decreased body size, skewed sex ratios and changes in habitat use. African elephants are also vital ecosystem engineers who modify and maintain physical environments, facilitate seed dispersal, and increase habitat complexity to the benefit of other animals. Population declines due to human-induced mortality—including trophy hunting—and social disruptions may have a significant and potentially irreversible impact on elephant populations and the ecosystem.
- Alligator Border Force CITES Team, Custom House, Heathrow Airport, London, UK “The border officer explained to me that the hunter declared this dead juvenile alligator as a toy – a present for his son, which shows that he knew it was illegal to trade it. Organized alligator hunting companies guarantee a100% ‘success’, simply because all odds are manipulated against the animal, similar to canned hunting. Often hunters will target several individuals, including juveniles because of the difficulty of killing an alligator. The animals often struggle for hours and sometimes hunters turn up at processing facilities after the hunt with alligators who were severely injured but still alive.” – Britta Jaschinski
- Yellow Baboon Border Force CITES Team, Custom House, Heathrow Airport, London, UK “Exports of primate trophies doubled in recent decades. Numerous African primate species are among the most targeted species by international trophy hunters, including chacma baboons, vervet monkeys, and yellow baboons. Often monkeys are considered ‘nuisance’ species, an attempt to justify foreign trophy hunters deliberately shooting monkeys for their personal enjoyment. But this practice also encourages the slaughter of other African primates and severely undermines conservation efforts to protect these animals. Additionally, trophy hunting is especially problematic for animals with complex social dynamics like primates and can upset the delicate balance of entire wild primate troops.” – Britta Jaschinski
- Chacma Baboon The National Wildlife Property Repository, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Denver Colorado, USA “Chacma baboons are the most popular of all the African trophy primates. It is a mystery to me why someone decided to tie up the baboon’s arms and legs. The officer I spoke to also had no explanation. But if anything, it resembles how humiliating and morbid the practice of trophy hunting is. There are disturbing videos online of trophy hunters shooting monkeys for fun. They are often treated as ‘target practice’ by trophy hunters as they track larger game. The trophy fees to hunt primates are extremely low, as little as US$20. It is also common for primates to be shot free of charge — ‘opportunity kills’ that are thrown in as part of the larger hunting package. Regardless of the price, the financial aspect is not enough to offset the conservation impact, an argument that is frequently made to justify trophy hunting.” – Britta Jaschinski Trophy hunting companies also advertise shooting baboons (species not specified) to use them as bait for leopard hunting. They say that they must keep the bait fresh and replace it regularly, suggesting that multiple baboons are killed for the trophy hunt of a single leopard. Therefore, the number of baboons killed for trophy hunting is vastly underestimated based on trophy trade data since these baboons used for bait are not traded.
- African Elephant Border Force CITES Team, Custom House, Heathrow Airport, London, UK “This suitcase was a real case of ivory smuggling from a trophy hunter. I did add the largest tusk, which was confiscated from a separate shipment, to illustrate that trophy hunting selectively eliminates the oldest, most genetically fit elephants from the population because they have the largest tusks. Those animals are the most successful at surviving drought, raising young, and breeding. The vast majority of successful breeding in wild elephants is by old bulls, those over the age of 35. Older elephants are also the leaders who teach survival skills to young elephants. Removing the healthiest animals puts the rest at risk in many ways. There is a significant negative impact beyond the simple subtraction of the animal who was killed. Continued demand for ivory in many countries has created a booming black-market trade. Over 750 tons of ivory have been ‘legally’ taken by trophy hunters since international trade regulations under CITES came into force. A simple fraudulent certificate can ‘authenticate’ the origin of the ivory to move freely. History shows that this system is difficult to control, even with good intentions.” – Britta Jaschinski The African savanna elephant has lost nearly 60% of its global population since the 1940s due in large part to the poaching crisis where elephants are killed for their ivory tusks to sell into markets as souvenirs, commodities and status symbols.* The illegal trade in wildlife is the world’s third most lucrative multi-billion dollar illicit industry. Revenues generated from the illegal trade often fund other illicit activities, such as drug, arms, and human trafficking. Trophy hunting, however, continues to be allowed despite these ongoing threats. Some of the world’s last remaining “big tuskers” (elephants with especially large tusks) are being legally hunted by trophy hunters in Botswana. Over the last 10 year
- Northern Giraffe The National Wildlife Property Repository, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Denver Colorado, USA “I once saw a social media post from a female trophy hunter who had a giraffe’s head and neck mounted on her living room wall in such a way that the giraffe looked as if she was drinking from a large water bowl, which also displayed some water plants. The deeply disturbing message along the photo was something like: ‘She is finally home’. When I spotted this giraffe trophy at a border patrol warehouse, I just wanted to break down and cry. Apparently, giraffe hunts are often designed to suit female trophy hunters who pay as little as US$1,800-4,000 to kill the gentle giant. Wild giraffe populations are rapidly declining in many parts of Africa, with human activity cited as the main cause. Giraffes are currently listed under CITES Appendix II, which places restrictions on international trade, but doesn’t prohibit it.” – Britta Jaschinski The Giraffe is scientifically classified as Vulnerable by the IUCN with a decreasing population trend.* CITES lists the giraffe under their Appendix II, meaning Member countries have determined that giraffe may become threatened with extinction due to trade if trade is not regulated. Even with international regulations, giraffes continue to be legally hunted and imported around the world as hunting trophies. While some trophies may be full body taxidermy mounts, giraffe trophies also often take the form of skins (used for rugs and pillows) and lamps (where the giraffe’s long legs make up the lamps’ stands). There are examples of their bones being traded and sold as “craft supplies.” * Muller, Z., Bercovitch, F., Brand, R., Brown, D., Brown, M., Bolger, D., Carter, K., Deacon, F., Doherty, J.B., Fennessy, J., Fennessy, S., Hussein, A.A., Lee, D., Marais, A., Strauss, M., Tutchings, A. & Wube, T. 2018. Giraffa camelopardalis (amended version of 2016 assessment). The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species
- American Black Bear The National Wildlife Property Repository, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Denver Colorado, USA “It was probably due to the long travel that the bear snout and paw were wrapped with string to somewhat ensure they wouldn’t break, but I took the photo because it illustrates ‘harming the harmless’, which is exactly how I feel about trophy hunting and poaching. Black bears act as a keystone species within the ecosystems which they inhabit. Bears play an important role as a major seed disperser of numerous plant species. Commercial trade is one of the leading threats to bears as they are targeted for luxury goods, ornaments, trophies and even trinkets like slippers. There is no evidence to show that bear trophy hunting has any conservation benefits. Hunting of bears, along with other forms of human-caused mortality targeting adult males, often lead to increased killing of cubs by surviving males.” – Britta Jaschinski The American black bear is the most-traded internationally regulated mammal species for hunting trophies in the world. They account for 44% of the total global number of traded trophies from CITES-listed mammals over the last 10 years. The U.S. is the world’s largest importer of American black bear hunting trophies which largely originate in Canada. Some U.S. states allow for black bear hunts in the spring, a particularly cruel practice; Not only do spring hunts make it far too easy for trophy hunters to kill vulnerable and malnourished bears who are emerging from hibernation, but they often leave newborn and yearling cubs orphaned—many of whom die from starvation, predation or exposure to weather. Over the last 10 years, the EU legally imported 2,405 of the 64,442 black bear hunting trophies traded globally.
- African Elephant Border Force CITES Team, Custom House, Heathrow Airport, London, UK “Is this the expression of the hunter’s arrogance? I came across quite a few of these books over the years whilst working with border officers. From a limited edition of a hunting book series, this is one of the 12 books published. ‘The Bonds of Africa (Impressions of Travel and Sport From Cape Town to Cairo, 1902-1912)’ was made with real elephant skin and is part of a set produced in Zimbabwe as a deluxe edition. In high demand for its rare production, the books are still sold by auction houses, but some have now been confiscated in Europe and the US.” – Britta Jaschinski The African savanna elephant, which is more commonly trophy hunted, is scientifically classified as Endangered (with a 50% population loss over the last two generations) and the African forest elephant is classified as Critically Endangered (with a 80% population loss over the last three generations)by the IUCN.* Despite these steep declines in populations and the cascading negative effects of selective killing of elephants on the survival of the herd, trophy hunting and trade in their skin, skulls, parts and products continues to be allowed. * Gobush, K.S., Edwards, C.T.T, Balfour, D., Wittemyer, G., Maisels, F. & Taylor, R.D. 2022. Loxodonta africana (amended version of 2021 assessment). The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2022: e.T181008073A223031019. Gobush, K.S., Edwards, C.T.T, Maisels, F., Wittemyer, G., Balfour, D. & Taylor, R.D. 2021. Loxodonta cyclotis (errata version published in 2021). The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2021: e.T181007989A204404464. https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2021-1.RLTS.T181007989A204404464.en.
- Leopard The National Wildlife Property Repository, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Denver Colorado, USA “I often wondered whether trophy hunters are simply jealous of the leopard’s beauty. Do they want to own it, to capture the uniqueness and elegance of these cats? More than 5,200 trophies from leopards were traded across the world in the past 10 years, according to CITES and an average of more than 520 leopards are shot every year purely to serve as luxury items and trophies. In one case the forensic tests revealed that a female stuffed leopard was shipped with shoes, potentially made from her own cubs. That deeply shocked me.” – Britta Jaschinski The leopard is scientifically classified as Vulnerable by the IUCN and declining in most of their range, faced with habitat loss and fragmentation, prey reductions from the bushmeat trade, illegal harvest for skins, and retaliatory killings from human-wildlife conflict.* Leopards are notoriously difficult to survey, so there currently is no comprehensive data on the global leopard population or an estimate on the number of mature individuals left in the wild. Consequently, there is significant concern within the conservation community around the validity of claims that leopard trophy hunting is sustainable without adequate population data. * Stein, A.B., Athreya, V., Gerngross, P., Balme, G., Henschel, P., Karanth, U., Miquelle, D., Rostro-García, S., Kamler, J.F., Laguardia, A., Khorozyan, I. & Ghoddousi, A. 2023. Panthera pardus. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2023: e.T15954A215195554.
- Vervet Monkey Border Force CITES Team, Custom House, Heathrow Airport, London, UK “My first thought was whether this was a vervet monkey family. Most likely at least a community, all killed around the same time. I learnt from the border officer that some people believe monkey skulls protect from evil spirits. But perhaps hunters also want to show their skills by displaying several heads from one hunt? In my view, this isn’t showing off any particular skill or bravery as most monkeys are quite tame and used to people. They live in complex societies and show up in groups, which make them an easy target. The hunters may hand out the meat to locals (probably to get their consent) and only claim the skulls.” – Britta Jaschinski Over the last 10 years, over 2,200 Vervet monkey hunting trophies have been traded globally.
- Tiger, Leopard, Jaguar The National Wildlife Property Repository, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Denver Colorado, USA “Thousands of big cats, often from threatened species, are killed with rifles, bows and other weapons by hunters who pay large amounts of money for the ‘privilege’. The rarer and more impressive the animal, the more they are prepared to pay. Trophy hunting can adversely affect the survival of species and undermine conservation efforts, as hunters often target rare and imperiled species or animals with impressive physical traits and remove individuals who are essential for reproduction and stabilizing social groups.” – Britta Jaschinski The leopard, once found across much of Africa and Asia, is scientifically classified as “Vulnerable” by the IUCN which notes: “Over the past three generations (22.3 years) regional Leopard populations in the Middle East, East and South-east Asia, West, Central and East Africa have seen substantial range declines due to habitat fragmentation and forest clearing, prey reductions from the bushmeat trade, illegal harvest for skins and human-wildlife conflict and retaliation for livestock depredation. Leopards have completely disappeared from regions of North Africa where they were recorded in the previous assessment.” * * Stein, A.B., Athreya, V., Gerngross, P., Balme, G., Henschel, P., Karanth, U., Miquelle, D., Rostro-García, S., Kamler, J.F., Laguardia, A., Khorozyan, I. & Ghoddousi, A. 2023. Panthera pardus. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2023: e.T15954A215195554.
- Polar Bear Border Force CITES Team, Custom House, Heathrow Airport, London, UK “What gives me hope is that border officers in many places across the globe work to enforce the law when hunters trade wildlife illegally. A CITES Border Force officer carries a polar bear hide, confiscated during a major international operation to tackle the illegal wildlife trade. The teams successfully seized hundreds of products made from threatened or endangered species of plants and animals. The Polar Bear is currently classified as Vulnerable on the basis of a projected reduction in global population size due to loss of sea ice habitat. Loss of Arctic Sea ice due to climate change is a serious threat to Polar Bears and yet in much of their icy habitat, it is legal to shoot them for trophies.” – Britta Jaschinski The current number of mature polar bear individuals in the wild is unknown, but the latest assessment conducted by the IUCN identifies ongoing threats, including commercial development and recreation, oil and gas drilling, hunting and trapping, and altered habitats due to climate change.* Despite the threats and the insufficient population data, polar bears are still legally hunted for trophies. * Wiig, Ø., Amstrup, S., Atwood, T., Laidre, K., Lunn, N., Obbard, M., Regehr, E. & Thiemann, G. 2015. Ursus maritimus. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2015: e.T22823A14871490.
- Lion The National Wildlife Property Repository, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Denver Colorado, USA “I was told the lion represents power, courage, and bravery. Growing numbers of wild lions in Africa are slaughtered for their teeth, claws, and paws. Do people isolate a small part of a powerful species as the essence of the animal in an attempt to gain the animal’s attributes? More than 11,500 items from African lions were exported across the world between 2011 and 2020, according to CITES. If we can’t protect the most iconic species, what hope is there for others?” – Britta Jaschinski The African lion is scientifically classified as “Vulnerable” by the IUCN and their overall population is decreasing. Lions have lost the majority of their native range and are down to an estimated 23,000 mature individuals in the wild.* Lions are also “bred for the bullet” at canned hunting facilities where bred lions—who are usually habituated to humans by adulthood—are baited and hunted in enclosures. South Africa has one of the world’s largest legal captive breeding and canned hunting industries for lions in the world; there are estimated to be between 6,000 and 8,000 lions living—and dying—in captivity. * Nicholson, S., Bauer, H., Strampelli, P., Sogbohossou, E., Ikanda, D., Tumenta, P.F., Venktraman, M., Chapron, G. & Loveridge, A. 2023. Panthera leo. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2023: e.T15951A231696234.
- Brown Bear The National Wildlife Property Repository, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Denver Colorado, USA “I kept asking myself who would do this? Who will want to walk around in real bear paw slippers? Is this for a joke and would it make people laugh? Often during these photoshoots it is too depressing to take it all in. I understand that bears used to be worshipped in many places across the globe, but today that ‘worship’ takes the form of trophy hunting and harvesting the animal’s body parts to make clothes, slippers and trinkets. Do trophy hunters think they are taking on something of the bear’s strength and nobility? Once a hunter said to me that killing a wild animal makes them feel powerful.” – Britta Jaschinski
- Ocelot The National Wildlife Property Repository, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Denver, Colorado, USA “Finding this at a border point, I presumed it was an antique chair, which in itself resembled to me the ultimate power over an animal. But it turned out not to be an item from the past but instead a newly assembled piece. Either way, it’s a sign of disregard for the species’ own function within its ecosystem. These cats have been hunted down for their highly prized coat since the time of the Aztecs. Due to their relatively small size, 25 ocelots were killed to make just a single jacket. Decades of hard work has raised awareness of the ocelot’s plight and has thankfully seen this appetite for their fur reduced, but many ocelots are still hunted for their unusual fur pattern.” – Britta Jaschinski
- Tiger Border Force CITES Team, Custom House, Heathrow Airport, London, UK “It’s impressive how officers work tirelessly to establish intelligence about items carried by trophy hunters. Border Force officers from the CITES Team are regarded as world leaders in their field, and here they confiscated a tiger hide. Hundreds of big cats, including endangered or threatened species, are slain by trophy hunters each year. Trophy hunters prefer to kill the largest, strongest animals, whose loss causes population declines in tigers. The same counts for lions and leopards, among other species.” – Britta Jaschinski The Tiger is scientifically classified as Endangered by the IUCN with a decreasing population trend. There are estimated to be only about 3,140 mature tiger individuals in the wild today. While some nations have implemented protections for tigers, such as India, which has seen an increase in the number of tigers recently, tigers are in steep decline in key habitats such as in Laos and Malaysia. Agriculture, habitat fragmentation, drilling and mining and hunting remain as serious threats to tigers.* Like rhino horn, tiger bone is thought to possess medicinal properties and is highly coveted for east Asian medicines. Tigers are often poached to meet this demand. * Goodrich, J., Wibisono, H., Miquelle, D., Lynam, A.J., Sanderson, E., Chapman, S., Gray, T.N.E., Chanchani, P. & Harihar, A. 2022. Panthera tigris. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2022: e.T15955A214862019.
- Bengal Tiger The National Wildlife Property Repository, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Denver Colorado, USA “I learned that the precision of the three bullets that were placed reveal that this tiger was most likely held captive or even bred to be killed. The 20th century saw the rise of a new ‘sport’: canned hunting. Tigers, and more often lions, may be shot in cages or within fenced enclosures or shot over feeding stations. Some animals are tame and have little fear of humans, while others may be tied to a stake or drugged before they are shot. The defining characteristic of a canned hunt is that the odds have been artificially manipulated against the animal. Canned hunting, the bone trade, plus facilities offering ‘tiger cub petting’ tourist experiences are all closely linked.” – Britta Jaschinski Facilities offering tourists the chance to pet lion and tiger cubs or to walk with them pose a problem to big cats’ welfare and facilitate a vicious cycle of exploitation. Big cat breeders prematurely take away cubs from their mothers and socialize them for people to pet. When the animals become too big for “cub petting” or walks with tourists, they are commonly killed for their bones (which are in high demand across Asia for their believed medicinal properties) or sold to canned hunting ranches where they are easily shot and turned into trophies.
- Zebra, Polar Bear and more Border Force CITES Team, Custom House, Heathrow Airport, London, UK “The backrooms and storage spaces at border points are full of crates and boxes, filled with items seized from trophy hunters who either failed to show a license or because they illegally shot animals who are protected. Trophy hunters have been found to shoot critically endangered species and animals who are extinct in the wild and are bred in facilities only to be shot as a trophy. A global report published in 2019* warned that 1 million species face possible extinction. More than 145,596 hunting trophies from protected species were exported worldwide between 2013 and 2022, according to CITES.” – Britta Jaschinski * IPBES (2019): Global assessment report on biodiversity and ecosystem services of the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services. E. S. Brondizio, J. Settele, S. Díaz, and H. T. Ngo (editors). IPBES secretariat, Bonn, Germany. 1148 pages.
- Lion Border Force CITES Team, Custom House, Heathrow Airport, London, UK “Just when I thought I have seen it all. Lions’ paws turned into bottle openers? These are the moments when I feel ashamed to be a human. Officers explained they confiscated the paws along with the head of a large male lion mounted on wood. Trophy hunting, Canned Trophy hunting, the bone trade, plus facilities offering ‘lion cub petting’ and ‘walking with lions’ tourist experiences are all very closely linked. Lions are sold from one to the other, until their bones are traded to the Far East.” – Britta Jaschinski The African lion is scientifically classified as “Vulnerable” by the IUCN and now occupy a only a mere 17% of their historical range.* In an attempt to meet the continued demand for lion hunting trophies, hunts for captive-bred lions in enclosures are offered by outfitters so they can advertise a “guaranteed” kills and offer cheaper rates. South Africa is one of the world’s largest exporters of canned-hunted lions. Captive breeding facilities and canned hunting ranches often hold lions in inhumane conditions. * Nicholson, S., Bauer, H., Strampelli, P., Sogbohossou, E., Ikanda, D., Tumenta, P.F., Venktraman, M., Chapron, G. & Loveridge, A. 2023. Panthera leo. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2023: e.T15951A231696234.
- Barracuda, Asian Elephant, Hornbill The Leibniz Institute for the Analysis of Biodiversity Change (LIB), Hamburg, Germany “Whether it’s in the sea, on land or in the air, there is no escape for many species. Every year, more species are targeted and traded globally. No country is untouched by these activities, which negatively impact biodiversity, human health, national security, and socio-economic development, while enriching illegal operations by organized criminal groups or legal, macabre hobbies of a select few. Industrial-scale-plundering of the planet’s resources, is unsustainable and is already affecting humankind too.” – Britta Jaschinski
- Natura morta. In consegna. Il macabro business della caccia al trofeo negli scatti di Britta Jaschinski_Poster mostra verticale
- La fotografa tedesca Britta Jaschinski in una foto tratta dal suo sito
INACCETTABILE TRASFORMARE ELEFANTI O LEONI IN PORTAPENNE
Martina Pluda, direttrice per l’Italia di HSI/Europe ha commentato: “In Italia, nonostante il 74% della popolazione sia chiaramente a favore di un divieto di importazione dei trofei di caccia di animali appartenenti a specie a rischio di estinzione, questa pratica rimane legale. È essenziale che il Governo italiano dia ascolto alla volontà dei suoi cittadini. La collocazione di questa mostra non è casuale: queste foto devono servire da monito per accelerare il processo legislativo di adozione delle proposte di legge già sui tavoli del Parlamento. Mettere un freno a questa pratica crudele e anacronistica non è solo un imperativo etico ma anche la risposta adeguata al mandato del Parlamento Europeo che, nel 2022, ha richiesto un divieto sulle importazioni di trofei. È arrivato il momento per l’Italia di schierarsi dalla parte della conservazione della fauna selvatica e di agire con responsabilità per proteggerla. È inaccettabile che si possano trasformare leoni, elefanti, rinoceronti in tappeti, sgabelli e portapenne”. La mostra resterà aperta al pubblico dal 12 al 21 marzo 2024, presso la Camera dei Deputati – Palazzo Valdina, Piazza in Campo Marzio 42, Roma, da lunedì a venerdì, dalle ore 11:00 alle 19:30 (ultimo ingresso ore 19:00), entrata libera.
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AGGIORNAMENTO DEL 19 MARZO 2024 – DELUSIONE HSI: L’EMENDAMENTO CON IL DIVIETO DICHIARATO INAMMISSIBILE
Humane Society International/Europe (HSI/Europe) esprime profondo disappunto per la decisione del Presidente della Commissione Giustizia della Camera dei Deputati, On. Maschio (Fratelli d’Italia), di dichiarare inammissibile l’emendamento 14.01 durante la discussione sul disegno di legge dell’On. Brambilla (Noi Moderati) in materia di reati contro gli animali. Tale emendamento, a prima firma dell’On. Costa (Movimento 5 Stelle), mirava a introdurre in Italia il divieto di importazione, esportazione e riesportazione di trofei di caccia di specie a rischio estinzione, adattando il testo dei disegni di legge già presentati la scorsa legislatura alla Camera a prima firma dell’ex Sottosegretario alla Giustizia On. Ferraresi (Movimento 5 Stelle) e nella presente legislatura dalla stessa On. Brambilla e, al Senato, dalla Sen.ce Bevilacqua (Movimento 5 Stelle).
Su 24zampe: Peste suina, nominati tre sub commissari. Droni per i cinghiali
