獵殺「籠中獅」值得炫耀? 澳洲明令反「困獵」


摘譯自2015年3月27日ENS澳洲,坎培拉報導;姜唯編譯;蔡麗伶審校

澳洲政府3月在墨爾本「全球為獅子而行」活動上宣布,即日起禁止獅子狩獵戰利品進出口。澳洲環境部長Greg Hunt特別指出,「困獵」(canned hunting)是野蠻的行為。

非洲獅。(來源:Ted McGrath)

野蠻! 稱不上狩獵的「困獵」

「所謂的困獵,就是把獅子圈養起來,讓付大筆銀子的人可以輕鬆獵到獅子。遊戲規則對獅子非常不公平,因為牠們根本無處可逃。這很殘忍、野蠻,我和許許多多澳洲人嚴正反對這個活動,我們要讓它永遠消失。」Hunt說。

澳洲的狩獵品禁令,旨在勸阻人們不要參與困獵活動。「新規範表示,如果你要出國參加困獵,別想把戰利品帶回澳洲,你不能炫耀自己獵殺這些美麗的動物。」

聯邦議員Wood贊成這項政策,並表示許多澳洲人支持停止困獵活動。「困獵的獅子養大就是為了被獵殺。有時狩獵前甚至會先對獅子下藥,或用誘餌吸引獅子靠近。這不是狩獵,更不能稱為運動。」Wood說。

新禁令不限於獅子屍體,非洲獅身體各部位皆適用,出口也是禁止的。違反者最多可處10年徒刑,以及個人最高170,000澳幣、公司集團最高850,000澳幣的罰金。

遭無差別獵殺 非洲獅瀕絕

非洲獅(Panthera leo)已被世界自然保育聯盟IUCN紅色名錄列為易危物種。過去20年間,非洲獅數量下降約30%,主要原因是人們為了保護人畜而無差別獵殺,以及獵物數量減少。

研究單位一致認為,獅子的數量難以統計。根據IUCN的最新數據,全非洲340萬平方公里的棲地、67處獅子活動區域中共有32,000頭獅子。

保育非洲獅 動團籲英國跟進

「我們希望接下來英國政府也能慎重考慮禁止進口。南非的圈養獅不受法律保護,英國可以幫助這些不道德產業中的動物,以及野外僅存的個體。2010至2013年間共有91件獅子屍體和身體部位進入澳洲,而美國平均每年400件,2007年至2012年歐盟平均每年200件,其他國家必須效法澳洲。」英國動物福利團體四爪協會經理Julie Sanders說。

英國四爪協會在南非主持一獅子保育區,照顧從獅園、動物園和馬戲團救援出的獅子。

歐盟法律過去存在漏洞,容許瀕危動物肢體被當成狩獵戰利品進口。今年2月修法通過,關閉了這個漏洞。新法規規定,進口6種物種的狩獵戰利品必須有歐盟成員國發出的許可,其中包括非洲獅。

Australia Bans Lion Hunting Trophy Imports
CANBERRA, Australia, March 27, 2015 (ENS)

The Australian Government is taking action to protect African lions from what Environment Minister Greg Hunt called “the barbaric practice of canned hunting” by banning the import and export of trophies made from lions.

The announcement was made at the Global March for Lions in Melbourne earlier this month. The African lion, Panthera leo, is classed as Vulnerable to extinction by the authoritative IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.

The tighter wildlife trade measures now in place under Australian environment law are intended to act as a strong deterrent to discourage people from engaging in canned hunting.

“Canned hunting is the practice where lions are raised in captivity for one reason only – so that those who are prepared to pay top dollar are guaranteed a kill,” said Minister Hunt.

“Canned hunts offer an easy and sure kill because the odds are stacked in favour of the hunter. The lions will always be killed because they simply can’t escape,” the minister said.

“It is cruel. It is barbaric. And this is something that I, along with many other Australians, feel very strongly about. We want this horrific practice to be a thing of the past,” said Hunt.

“These new rules mean that if you go overseas and engage in the appalling act of canned hunting, you can forget about bringing your lion trophies back to Australia. You don’t deserve the right to celebrate the slaughter of these amazing creatures.”

Federal Member of Parliament for La Trobe, Wood, welcomed the introduction of the ban and said many Australians support efforts to stop the practice of canned hunting.

“These canned hunts use lions raised to be killed in compounds where they can’t run and they can’t hide. There are cases where the lions are drugged before a hunt. Sometimes baits are used to lure the lions for the kill,” said Wood.

“It can hardly be considered hunting, let alone be called a sport,” he said.

The ban not only applies to lion bodies, it also applies to imports of other African lion parts, as well as exports.

The maximum penalty for wildlife trade offenses is 10 years imprisonment and a fine of up to A$170,000 for individuals and up to A$850,000 for corporations.

Animal advocates now hope that other countries will also ban lion trophies.

Julie Sanders is country manager of the animal welfare organization Four Paws UK, which runs a lion sanctuary in South Africa for animals rescued from breeding or hunting farms, zoos and circuses.

“We hope the next UK Government will take this issue seriously and impose a ban on imports,” said Sanders. “As captive bred lions have no legal protection in South Africa, a similar decision from the UK would bring hope to animals in the unethical South African lion industry and to the last remaining majestic big cats living in the wild.”

“Between 2010 and 2013, 91 lions and lion body parts were imported to Australia,” Sanders said. “This contrasts with an average of 400 per year to the United States and 200 per year to EU Member States between 2007 and 2012, which explains why it is so important for these countries to follow Australia’s example.”

In February, a loophole in European law that allowed body parts from endangered animals to be imported into the European Union as hunting trophies was closed. The new measure requires import permits issued by EU Member States for the import of hunting trophies of six species, including African lions.

The population of African lions has dropped roughly 30 percent over the past two decades caused by indiscriminate killing in defense of life and livestock, coupled with prey base depletion,” the IUCN says.

Lion population estimates are difficult researchers agree. The IUCN’s best and latest estimate is the survival of 32,000 lions in 67 lion areas comprising 3.4 million km2 of habitat across Africa.

※ 全文及圖片詳見:ENS

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