85k Sign Petition Urging Delta Airlines to Stop Shipping Hunting Trophies
ATP- arab tourism portal- With news that Lufthansa has joined both Emirates SkyCargo and South African Airlines in announcing that they have banned the shipment of hunting trophies on their flights, more than 85,000 people have signed onto a new Care2 petition urging Delta Airlines, a major US carrier to do the same.
While trophy hunting is legal in some parts of Africa, the transportation barrier aims to make hunting endangered species less appealing, the Care2 petition says, because hunters will be unable to ship and display their prized possessions back home. Prohibitions on the shipment of hunting trophies will also make it more difficult for tour companies to offer deals on these hunts, the petition says.
South African Airways announced in April it had banned transportation of endangered rhinos, elephants, and lions aboard its passenger and cargo flights.
“SAA will no longer support game hunters by carrying their trophies back to their country of origin,” SAA country manager Tim Clyde-Smith said. “The vast majority of tourists visit Africa in particular to witness the wonderful wildlife that remains. We consider it our duty to work to ensure this is preserved for future generations and that we deter activity that puts this wonderful resource in danger.”
Shortly after, Emirates announced it had also banned hunting trophies of elephants, rhinos, tigers and lions from its aircraft. Emirates already had a ban on shipments of products and parts of endangered animals and plants listed under appendix I of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (Cites), but the new policy bans this cargo regardless of whether the animals are protected by Cites.
The illegal wildlife trade is one of the most lucrative worldwide, raking in an estimated $19 billion a year. It is the fourth largest global illegal trade after drugs, counterfeit products and currency, and human trafficking, according to World Wildlife Fund.
