§ Mrs. Curtis-ThomasTo ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will make a statement on the Government's policy on trophy-hunting. [155256]
§ Mr. MorleyMany of the species that are hunted for trophies are listed under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES), which is implemented in the EU under Council Regulation 338/97. Under these Regulations, the import of hunting trophies is allowed only where it has been established that this will not be detrimental to the populations concerned. We shall not hesitate to use the powers that are available to refuse the import of hunting trophies where there is evidence that these have been taken illegally, or that such hunting is itself unsustainable.