Connecticut Sen. Bob Duff’s (D-Norwalk) proposed Senate Bill 20 would ban the import, sale and possession of what he calls “the Big Six” African species; African elephants, lions, leopards, black rhinoceros, white rhinoceros and giraffes. The Joint Committee on Environment voted 24-5, sending the bill to the Senate Floor for a possible vote at any time.
Take Action NOW! Connecticut sportsmen need to contact their state legislator today and ask them to vote NO on Senate Bill 20. Members can contact their legislator by using the Sportsmen’s Alliance Legislative Action Center.
While it is legal for American hunters to harvest these species, sportsmen are required by law to obtain the proper import permits from both the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and must be legally permitted to hunt those species in those countries. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service only issues import permits for hunts that occur in countries that maintain sound conservation plans that help improve threatened and endangered wildlife.
“Passage of SB 20 would actually do more harm than good to the species Sen. Duff believes he’s helping,” said Bruce Tague, Sportsmen’s Alliance vice president of government affairs.
A Northwest University of South Africa study revealed that South Africa received an estimated $156 million dollars from hunting and hunting-associated revenues in just one year. The same study showed that the average hunter will likely spend close to $6,000 on lodging, food, clothing and ammunition.
American sportsmen not only help governments fund anti-poaching efforts, they also provide additional revenues to the local communities, which is a huge financial incentive for locals to cooperate with anti-poaching efforts, to protect the various species and tolerate their depredations and promote the legal harvesting of the species.
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.