African community leaders have accused anti-poaching trophies such as British Environment Minister Jack Goldsmith and actor Ricky Kerwais of calling it neocolonialism, arguing that political leaders are ignoring people who live with wildlife. Imports of hunting trophies may be banned in the UK.
The UK Parliament is expected to table a bill to stop the importation of such trophies, which are aimed at strengthening the protection of endangered species, but it is competing.
Namibian Representative Maxi Pia Louis met with Goldsmith and other UK politicians last week to voice opposition to the ban in its current form of possible legislation.
“Africans have not been consulted, especially in South Africa, where there is a vast majority of wildlife. If there is no incentive to protect wildlife, we can see a lot of land being lost to agriculture. It is easy to imagine what will happen to lions and elephants that need large areas,” he said. “I’m not a hunter. I do not like guns. I have seen people killed by guns under racism in Namibia, but it did not give me a reason to take away people’s livelihoods, “he argued.
“[A proibição] It is a form of neocolonialism. We are ready for discussions as long as there is mutual respect, ”he stressed. “Who is Ricky Kerwais? We do not know him. Celebrities have money, influence and media access, not our communities. He must stand up for those who are vulnerable.”
So Louis invited Kerwis, Goldsmith and other public figures to go to Namibia to see the problem first hand.
Ricky Kerwais, who has argued for a complete ban on poaching file imports, urged his 14 million Twitter followers to write to Boris Johnson’s government to support the change in the law.
