Archaeology and Trophy Hunting

Written declaration, under Rule 136 of Parliament’s Rules of Procedure, on trophy hunting

3. The EU is a major source of trophy hunters, and a frequent destination for trophies. Between 2004 and 2013, over 27 000 trophies originating from Africa and America were imported into Europe. Clearly the current rules are insufficient and inadequately applied.

4. For permits to be issued, the authorities have to determine that the hunt was not detrimental to populations of any of the species listed in Annex B to the EU Wildlife Trade Regulations, and that it benefited the conservation of Annex A species. This is rarely adequately determined.

5. The Council and the Commission are called upon to examine the possibility of restricting all trophy imports, to ensure proper implementation of the rules by Member States, and to persuade countries that are issuing permits to trophy hunters without due consideration for the impacts of trophy hunting on conservation and animal welfare to discontinue this practice .

When are our jobsworth archaeologists going to be pressurising their governments to institute similar policies to protect the archaeological record - to allow imports of artefacts only after a determination that they were obtained in a way which was not detrimental to the archaeological record, and indeed has benefited its conservation? When are they hoping to persuade countries that are allowing unrestricted artefact hunting without due consideration for the impacts of such activities on resource  conservation to discontinue this practice? Next month? Next year? Never? 

hat tip, Nigel Swift