The US government has written to the UK’s environment department DEFRA to ask it not to ban trophy imports.
A letter from Doug Burgum, US secretary of the interior to DEFRA secretary Emma Reynolds formally asks the British government not to ban trophy imports because it risks undermining conservation efforts, and because hunting traditions carry cultural significance. The letter from the USA to the UK follows similar pleas to the UK government from the governments of Canada, Botswana, Namibia and others.
UK premier Keir Starmer adopted the policy of his predecessor Boris Johnson to ban the import of hunting trophies. Burgum says that, ‘while well-intentioned’, the proposed Hunting Trophies (Import Prohibition) Act 2025, ‘risks undermining conservation efforts not only in the United States, but in communities around the world.
‘Legal, well-regulated hunting-particularly trophy hunting-plays a vital role in supporting healthy wildlife populations, restoring habitat, and supporting local economies,’ he writes. ‘In the US, this model is guided by science and implemented by states and tribes who set quotas to manage species like the American alligator and black bear. These efforts help prevent overpopulation, reduce human-wildlife conflict, and ensure long-term viability.’
To the anger of anti-hunting activists, no commitment to ban hunting trophies made it into government’s recent animal welfare strategy because, say officials, hunting trophies are a conservation issue not a welfare issue. The same strategy promises a ban on trailhunting among other country sports.
Starmer has faced criticism for pushing hunting bans not just for conservation reasons but cultural reasons. Burgum tells Reynolds: ‘Beyond ecological impact, hunting traditions carry cultural significance and provide communities with sustainable sources of food and income. When managed responsibly, they foster respect for nature and reinforce the connection between people and the land.’
The UK government estimates that less than 2 tonnes of trophy imports are imported into the UK each year. It estimates that 29,000 tonnes of illegal bushmeat is smuggled through UK borders each year. Starmer faces criticism for trying to ban one while ignoring the other.
The harshest censure comes from some in southern Africa who call the proposed trophy imports ban ‘neo-colonial’ and even ‘racist’, because it aims to put African conservation workers out of jobs.
Burgum suggests Reynolds sticks to existing regulations surrounding trophy imports. He concludes: ‘The US Department of the Interior … enforces strict import regulations through the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), the US Endangered Species Act (ESA), and the Lacey Act. These frameworks ensure that any sport-hunted trophy imported into the United States meets rigorous standards for legal compliance and contributes meaningfully to species conservation.
‘CITES provides a global mechanism for parties to raise concerns, propose changes to species listings, and strengthen conservation outcomes through collaborative action. We respectfully encourage the United Kingdom to engage through these established channels rather than pursue a blanket ban on all imports. Such a ban risks unintended consequences for conservation funding, habitat protection, and community engagement-both in the United States and abroad.’
01.12.26 – Hunting Trophies (Import Prohibition) Act 2025 Letter
More on this story in the Daily Telegraph
