Killing for conservation is not the ethos you would expect from a group called the International Wildlife Conservation Council (IWCC). However, that seems to be exactly what this new advisory committee has been set up to promote.
Created by the Trump administration late last year, the council will advise the Department of the Interior on the promotion of international trophy hunting. Elephants, lions, rhinos – species already at risk from poaching, habitat loss, and climate change – will be put between the crosshairs of a hunter’s scope if this council has its way.
Appointed by Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke, the council members met for the first time this past Friday. Under Zinke’s leadership, the Department of Fish and Wildlife has already made moves to undo Obama-era bans on bringing elephant and lion trophies into the U.S. Part of the committee’s stated purpose is to make “efforts to increase awareness of the conservation and economic benefits of United States citizens traveling to foreign nations to engage in hunting.”
Based on social media posts, the Associated press predicts each member of the 16 person council will be in favor of big game hunting as a method of conservation. The committee contains not a single voice against trophy hunting.
Hunting in order to protect a species is not a widely held belief by most conservationists. Most of the animals hunted for trophies are already endangered or at risk. For trophy hunting especially, the strongest animals are targeted, weakening a population overall. Each and every one should be allowed to live out a life as protected from human interference as possible. Combating the problem of poaching by encouraging wealthy hunters to kill an animal for the display of body parts is hypocritical and weakens the arguments to protect these animals.
The Chicago Tribune created a brief profile for each of the members. Many are associated with the National Rifle Association (NRA) and the trophy hunting group Safari Club International (SCI). The infamous killing of Cecil the lion was carried out by dentist Walter Palmer, member of SCI. One of the members is a lobbyist for hunters. Another co-owns a private hunting preserve with Donald Trump’s adult sons. Donald Trump Jr. is known for his big game hunting and has drawn the ire of animal conservation groups worldwide over publicized photos of him with his trophies.
Though advisory committees such as these are supposed to bring a balanced view of issues, the IWCC clearly does not. Created under the Federal Advisory Committee Act, the group is mandated to be “fairly balanced in terms of the points of view represented” and “not be inappropriately influenced by . . . any special interest.” Comments protesting the council as biased have been submitted to the Fish and Wildlife Service by animal conservation groups and scientists. Lawsuits will inevitably follow.
Il faut le chasser lui-même et vite du gouvernement c’est un fou
“If this is OK ” … then why isn’t OK to round up these rich , sick , small minded , narcissist killers that have no compassion for life & take their guns & their useless money from them by force which wouldn’t be hard and drop them in a 16 foot fenced in enclosure with a pride of lions. “Seems fair”. How is that any different than what they are doing ? A life is a life is it not ? So because these helpless animals are not human they don’t feel, have families , morn , bleed & suffer ? Unfortunately this is the real world and it is not a peaceful and family friendly place & the kind of people that commit these atrocities to me aren’t human. When I think of human I think of humanitarian !!!
Trophy hunters are scum.
Someone needs to put a bullet to the back of their useless heads.
“If this is OK ” … then it should be aloud to round up these rich , sick , small minded , narcissist killers & take their guns & their useless money from them by force and drop them in a 16 foot enclosure with a pride of lions. Sounds fair . How is that any different than what they are doing ? A life is a life is it not ? This is the real world and unfortunately it is not peaceful & family friendly ! Do these animals not have feelings & families they love ? Everything living feels ,loves , bleeds & suffers !
I cannot believe the level of pervertion, low class, dysfunctional, sick , black souls that USA is producing at every corner… I have never seen so much hypocrisy and mental sickness coming from a so called civilized country in my life.
What do you expect Trump wants to allow it for the benefit of his kid and friends so he stocks the panel with those that will agree with whatever he wants.
More self serving action by the uber rich to do whatever they please. If they can’t be above the law they change the law to suit them. This makes me sick.
What have we accomplished when “Trophy Hunters” comprise a large majority of this Council? Have we not had enough killing? Lots of animal species are near extinction b/c hunters just “have to have” that animal head on their wall, no matter the cost. When this world was created, there was an ecosystem which allowed all creatures to be able to live within that system. Now that system has been interrupted because of GREED!!
This is absolutely sickening killing these beautiful wildlife they have aright live too. Look at these guys smiling like they did something great, makes me sick!!!!! They call this management, I don’t think so more like a bunch of cowards!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I BELIEVE YOU COMPLETELY
YES
Before killing another beautiful animal we must make these people realize how cold their hearts must be, and how they will pay for hunting for fun. The president has lost my vote forever and definately has or is losing the trust of the world.
WE MUST DO SOMETHING AGAINST ANIMAL TROPHIES!!!IF WE ARE GOING ON LIKE THIS, ON NEXT FEW YEARS , THERE’LL NO ANIMAL LEFT, AND THEN WILL COME THE END OF THE WORLD!!!!!IT IS AS SIMPLE AS THAT!!!!
Trump does not care about wildlife! His sons are trophy hunters, it is disgusting!
TO HELP CONSERVE MEANS PRESERVING ALL LIVING BEINGS DOESN’T MEAN KILLING FOR SUPPORT IN ORDER TO SAVE LIVES …THIS THE BIGGEST LIE EVER WHAT HAD HAPPEN TO RESPECT NATURE …..RESPECT DIGNITY COMPASSION AND LOVE
I agree
We are not even surprised at this. This is what Ryan Zinke is all about. This is what the Trump administration is all about.
Agreed!
Agreed!
That Wildlife Conservation Council is a Trump-created organization filled with NRA-backed stoops who gather together with the trophy hunting Safari Club regaling their stories of the horrors they have inflicted on those poor innocent animals. These sick little boys and girls perform these acts of aggression just to satisfy their murderous appetites and to get the biggest catch. Those idiots are the true wild and uncivilized beasts not those animals. The animals are doing what they know to do. How can an organization that is supposed to be dedicated to saving these animals justified being involved with their demise? I’ll be glad when ALL are impeached and then perhaps government can be restored to at least some normalcy.
I hope Trump and everyone who voted for this self-serving idiot is happy when these animals go extinct, because it was the economical thing to do. Get some morals and think of something bigger than just yourself for once.
TRUMP LET ALL WILD ANIMALS DOWN WHEN HE RENEGED ON HIS PROMISE TO BANI TROPHY HUNTING OF THE ELEPHANT, LIONS AND TIGERS. HIS OLDEST SON HAS ALREADY KILLED AN ELEPHANT AND CUT OFF ITS TAIL FOR HIS TROPHY. INTERIOR SECRETARY ZINKE IS ALSO A KILLER OF WILD LIFE AS HE WANTS TO HAVE OPEN SEASON OIN KILLING GRIZZLY BEARS, WILR HORSES AND BURROWS AND IS INVOLVED WITH HIS TROPHY HUNTER BUDDYS TO KILL THE ELEPHANTS. WRITE DONALD TRUMP AND TELL HIM TO RESCIND THE BAN
Animals have feelings and rights too! Please help!
So who actually cares about these beautiful animals & how can a nobody help them???? To all trophy hunters I would shoot you ALL in a heart beat!!! I’m a animal LOVER through & through & can not believe the word EXTINCTION has no meaning to any of you WILDLIFE KILLERS!!! Dear lord, please take care of these trophy hunters, all need there eyes opened & GUNS Taken for ever!!! ??GUNS!!!??. ASHAMED I’M A HUMAN!!! I FEEL for all these animals, please be there Voice!!!!
There are too many of these types around. Let’s build a wall around them and let them hunt each other. I wonder how much they would enjoy that. The world would be a better place without these morons.
This is a disgusting let down and a betrayal of the majority of us citizens who abor trophy hunting and the egotistical people who think it is Ok to shoot wildlife with high power rifles with no danger t6o themselves.
Bev, I figure two things. Put him and his cronies on a deserted island, bomb it and let it sink. Or put them in a rocketship and send them to the moon. Works for me.
Well I figured the wildlife conservation council was right up there with the NRA anyway. They are all bozo’s looking to line their pockets with the blood of animals. That includes the idiotic president and his goons. They are not for the people or the animals. Like I said, I don’t know what they are going to hunt once they’ve killed all the species on this panet because they will go down the line. They won’t stop at the elephants. It would be so very special if they would hunt each other. The world would be a better place for it. Morons who don’t have anything else to do to occupy their time but to take the lives of innocent animals who can’t shoot back. They deserve looks of disgusts from each end every human being alive. They are all pieces of puke that walk the earth.
Show NO resect for God’s animals and exect tp pay the price ALL you animal abusers. Do NOT mock God.
Bring animals into the world only to kill them is not part of the cycle of nature. We artificially inseminate animals, kill them years before their life span is up, then justify it as natural comparing ourselves to other animals who kill to survive . Last time I looked,Lions were’nt breeding gazelles. How can we save humanity if we can’t save the animals.
Science may have found a cure for most evils, but it has found no remedy for the worst of them all,The Apathy of Human Beings.
Horrified! Dismantled this group of morons and put real humans with values and ethics and a love for all animals. There should be no trophy hunting in the world. It has been shown to create an endless need for the already endangered species of lions and tigers and elephants and rhinos. God help us all to prevent the extinction of these precious animals.
This changed law is horrible for those who care about animals, both in a caring way and in a wish to preserve the population of elephants in the ecosystem. Can’t the trophy hunters be satisfied with target shooting rather than killing beautiful animals and reducing the population of elephants and other wildlife.
The demons are taking over , sad is that ! We the good people have no power.
We need to disseminate this news among Dem Animal Lovers considering Trump– this could make all the difference
In 13 months our country has regressed 40 years
Bravo to the people who work to save animals and all you signers ! Thanks !
Stupid Hunters ! Save the animals ! Hunters are weak people !
This breaks my Heart. What is Wrong with People the last 100 years.
Come on Trump….Stand up for Animals and get your Act in Gear.
Your a Complete Fool.
STOP TROPHY HUNTING. WE ARE KILLING ALL OF OUR MAJESTIC ANIMALS.
“If a man aspires towards a righteous life, his first act of abstinence is from injury to animals.” — Albert Einstein
FUCKING POSERS!!!!!!!!! Sell out pussies with no backbone.
Killing does not protect. It doesn’t take a genius to know that. These people are greedy self-serving idiots.
its the fox guarding the hen house what bull shit this is
Yes let’s all protect wild life by shooting it. Who’s assine idea was this anyway? Ryan Zinke’s? Donald Trump’s? The NRA’s? Let’s place poachers and trophy hunters in those crosshairs. ????????
We should be preserving and protecting our wildlife, not destroying it as seems to be the pattern. Apparently the Wildlife Conservation group are not working toward preservation.Very sad and disgraceful.
We must keep calling our representatives every day and flood the fish and wildlife agency with phone calls. Let trump
Know you are not voting for him.
IMPEACH! IMPEACH!! Bloody-well IMPEACH!!!
WHAT is it going to take?????
Oh dear, dear Poacher Killer……you are definitely someone who needs to be cloned!! A thousand times over!! This world needs more and more of you……. Kudos to you and your group, I hope you haven’t given up the good work.
The animals this “conservation council” wants to hunt ARE ALREADY ENDANGERED OR HAVE A GOOD CHANCE OF GOING EXTINCT IN OUR LIFETIME!! When can we impeach Trump? He set up this committee – no wonder they are allowing trophy kills into the US from other countries. His son also is a trophy hunter! Trump sure isn’t what he made himself out to be before the elections, that’s for damn sure! WHAT CAN WE DO TO STOP HIM???
Poachers are useless.
This so called Wildlife Conservation Council must think we are the stupidest people ever. I will be glad when they are all gone.
What a laughing stock this makes of the so called group ‘Wildlife Conservation Council.’ The animals of the world have no hope of living with this group as their monitor! Part of the ecology system and again a government makes a ridiculous decision in the name of money!