LionAid Campaigns

Following our successful debate in the UK Parliament last November, join LionAid's campaign to ban the import of lion trophies into the UK/EU.

TAKE ACTION NOW AS THE MPs AND MEPs JOIN THIS INITIATIVE!

LionAid together with Andrew Turner MP (Isle of Wight) was able to bring a debate on lion trophy hunting to the UK Parliament on November 17, 2010, entitled “Government policy on Lion trophies and the protection of Lions”. The reason for the debate was to urge the UK Government and other EU governments to review carefully the significant impact trophy hunting contributes to the decline of Africa’s lion populations.
The Minister for Natural Environment and Fisheries and Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, Richard Benyon, received the debate and gave a very positive response, saying  “The Government has set out to be the greenest ever, and we carry that ethos into our international dealings”.

 The transcript of the 17 November debate can be found here:

And Minister Benyon’s subsequent support for the initiative can be found here 

Write to YOUR MP and ask him/her to support the campaign on your behalf.  Click here for a template letter to send.
 
To date the following Members of Parliament have either expressed their support for the issue and/or are following the debate closely:
 
Richard Benyon -  The Minister taking the Debate forward
Andrew Turner – who introduced the Private Members’ Debate
 
James Arbuthnot, Henry Bellingham, David Blunkett, Ronnie Campbell, Nick Clegg, Damian Collins, Oliver Colville, Mike Crockart, Caroline Dinenage, Charlie Elphicke, Graham Evans, Roger Gale, David Hanson, Margot James, Mark Lancaster, Pauline Latham, Oliver Letwin, Caroline Lucas, Edward Miliband, Robert Neill, Fiona O’Donnell, Bob Russell, Laura Sandys, Keith Taylor (MEP), Keith Vaz.
 
The Deputy Prime Minister, Nick Clegg had this to say in reply to a constituent:

 “ I can assure you that my colleagues and I do take this matter very seriously…..the Government will raise questions with the exporting countries we have concerns with and support tighter controls on trophy hunting.”   

And The Rt. Hon Edward Miliband, Leader of the Labour Party and Leader of the Opposition, responded in equal support to one of his constituents as follows:

“I am writing to thank you for your recent letter regarding the charity LionAid and their campaign to ban the import of lion trophies, the contents of which I have carefully noted…. I can well understand your concerns on this issue, and this is a matter which will receive cross party support. I will pass your interest and support for extending action to the European commission’s Wildlife Trade Regulation onto Linda McAvan MEP for Yorkshire, and seek her observations on this issue for you.”

We should all be doing everything we can to protect the African Lion now in its hour of need and we believe this is an issue that will have overwhelming support from people everywhere. Lion trophy hunting is an anathema that benefits few and impacts highly negatively on lion populations. We ask you now if we can count on your backing for this very important LionAid initiative that is very much in line with resolutions formulated and accepted by the UK at the recent Convention on Biodiversity in Nagoya, Japan.

Contact us TODAY here and add your support to the campaign.