***UPDATE ***: CA S 1175 has a second hearing in the Assembly Committee on Appropriations at 9 a.m., Aug. 20, in the Assembly Chambers.
This bill would ban the possession or importation of animal products from a number of African big-game species and was amended in May to also prohibit live-animal markets similar to those thought to be responsible for the outbreak of COVID-19 in China.
Take Action Today! Sportsmen’s Alliance members and all concerned outdoorsmen should contact the the Committee Chair and Vice Chair in opposition to the African Species language at the phone number and the links below.
Chairwoman Lorena S. Gonzales: 916/319-2080
https://a80.asmdc.org/article/contact-lorena
Vice Chair Frank E. Bigelow: 916/319-2005
https://lcmspubcontact.lc.ca.gov/PublicLCMS/ContactPopup.php?district=AD05&inframe=Y
“SB 1175 is an attack on sportsmen under the guise of addressing public health issues like wet markets,” said Jacob Hupp associate director of state services at the Sportsmen’s Alliance. “The two issues aren’t even closely related. Conflating wet markets with Americans hunting in Africa and importing properly cured hides or horns under strict regulation and oversight from U.S. Customs is disingenuous at best, and outright manipulation and scare tactics at worst.”
Senate Bill 1175 would ban the possession or importation of animal products from a number of African big game species, including: elephants, lions, leopards, rhinoceros, giraffe, zebra, hippos, pangolins, baboons and hyenas. African big-game hunting funds efforts that protect plentiful, threatened and endangered species from poaching and gives local communities incentive to tolerate conflict with these animals. These hunts occur within the scope of the law of African countries that meet internationally accepted conservation initiatives and guidelines, and adhere to United States import regulations. The dollars that come from African hunts provide a lifeline for many endangered and threatened species, as they fund the anti-poaching and conservation efforts throughout Africa that would not be possible otherwise.
About the Sportsmen’s Alliance: The Sportsmen’s Alliance protects and defends America’s wildlife conservation programs and the pursuits – hunting, fishing and trapping – that generate the money to pay for them. Sportsmen’s Alliance Foundation is responsible for public education, legal defense and research. Its mission is accomplished through several distinct programs coordinated to provide the most complete defense capability possible. Stay connected to Sportsmen’s Alliance: Online, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.