The Safari Club

CITES Boosts Tanzania Leopard Harvest

The160-country treaty meeting of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species taking place in Santiago, Chile has already seen some remarkable advances for conservation and sportsmen around the world. 

Tanzania requested and CITES approved the doubling of its leopard harvest and export quota from 250 animals to 500.   The strong support for this CITES action was understandable as Emmanuel Severre, Tanzania’s chief wildlife official, provided documentation of the country’s leopard populations and its extensive conservation efforts.  He also advised that leopard hunting brings $10 million to Tanzania’s economy, half of which goes directly back into conservation and local communities.

 Markhor Hunting Expanded

Pakistan received the okay from CITES to double its markhor harvest quota from six animals to 12.

 With 80 percent of the revenues from markhor hunting going to local communities to support conservation efforts, Pakistan argued that the loss of revenue from just a six-animal quota threatened the conservation efforts.

 Leopard Hunting Assured

CITES agreed to continue the export quota system for leopards favored by many African countries and by sportsmen.  In addition to Tanzania, leopard quotas were set for Botswana, Central African Republic, Ethiopia, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.

United States wildlife management officials encouraged the quota system, saying it justified the importation of leopard trophies under the requirements of US laws and regulations.

CITES also deleted the special reporting requirements that previously had caused a few suspensions of leopard trophy shipments for failure to file reports.

Scientific Management Embraced

US delegates at CITES proposed and received a favorable reaction to standards providing a scientific basis for establishing and administering wildlife export quotas. 

However, many hunting and wildlife exporting countries said they needed help in building their capacity to accomplish these tasks.

SCI representatives at the 1,300-delegate CITES meeting are helping keep this important initiative on course to protect hunting and promote conservation.

Not Long Now

The New Year is less than two months away, and with it comes the triumphant return of SCI’s 31st Annual Convention to the Reno-Sparks Convention Center in Reno, Nevada.

Taking place Jan. 29-Feb. 1, the Convention will host exhibitors from the world’s top outdoor companies, first-class entertainment, enlightening panels, exciting auctions, and other events catering specifically to today’s sportsman.

Notables slated to attend include Forty-First President of the United States George Bush, actors Gerald McRaney and Joe Mantegna, adventure novelist Wilbur Smith, Gulf War commander General H. Norman Schwarzkopf (USA, Ret.), and aerospace pioneer General Chuck Yeager (USAF, Ret.).

Journalists seeking SCI Convention credentials can go online to http://209.234.180.134/pressreg/index.htm or contact Jim Brown, SCI PR Director, 520-620-1220, ext. 477; 520-618-3565 (fax); jbrown@safariclub.org.

Ready to Rumble!

In Bridgeport, Conn. two animal rights groups, Friends of Animals and People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals staged concurrent protests on the same street corner.

PETA was denouncing the circus.  FOA was criticizing PETA for the sexism of its protest, which included a half-naked woman sitting in a cage.

“This makes a mockery of the whole issue,” revealed FOA spokeswoman Megan Metzelaar in a Connecticut Post article.  “We don’t exploit women to further our cause.”

Take A Hike!

The Federal Trade Commission has refused to act on complaints filed by People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals that California’s “happy cow” humorous advertising campaign is misleading to the public.

PETA filed the initial complaint last April, according to the Contra Costa Times. 

SCI agrees with the decision of the FTC, and views PETA’s efforts as further proof that the rabid group will attack anyone and do just about anything to further its vegan agenda.

Born to be Wild

Motorcycle company Harley-Davidson, when faced with deer overpopulation on its 80-acre property in Springettsbury Township, Pennsylvania, recently decided to cull the herd and give the venison to local-area food banks.

PETA and other animal rights groups attacked the prudent resource management decision.  The York Daily Record reports that one extremist even accosted Harley-Davidson President Willie Davidson during a Manhattan book signing.

SCI urges Harley-Davidson to ignore the rants of antis, and salutes the company for sharing nature’s bounty with many of Pennsylvania’s hungry.  After all, the Harley-Davidson relief effort is built upon the foundation of giving SCI pioneered more than a dozen years ago with its Sportsmen Against Hunger program.  Every year, Sportsmen Against Hunger donates the game meat to feed some 250 million meals to people in need.

Want Fries With That?

In Washington state, CNN.COM reports that two deer smashed through the plate glass window of a local McDonalds “and pranced around the store” during the Friday lunchtime rush.

Four bystanders received minor wounds.  One deer jumped back through the window, while the other was tranquilized by animal control officers.

Property damage by wildlife underscores the importance of sportsmen playing key roles in local wildlife management programs.

More on SCI

Founded in 1971, SCI is the leader in protecting the freedom to hunt and in promoting wildlife conservation worldwide. 

With some 200 chapters around the globe, the 501(c)(4) non-profit association is a tireless advocate for  the more than 45 million sportsmen and sportswomen who, through their legal hunting activities, represent the single largest source of money necessary to maintain wildlife populations and habitats, to conduct wildlife research and to enforce wildlife laws.  For more information about SCI, visit www.safariclub.org or its government relations Web site at www.sci-dc.org.

SCI Foundation funds and manages worldwide programs dedicated to wildlife conservation, outdoor education and humanitarian services. For more information about the 501(c)(3) Foundation, visit www.safariclubfoundation.org or its International Wildlife Museum Web site at www.thewildlifemuseum.org.