Humane Society of the US tries to damage hunting in Africa

The Humane Society of the United States has always been anti-hunting and they have done what they can in the US to foil hunting at every turn. They have also submitted reports and comments to foreign governments such as those in Africa to ban many forms of hunting. Now they are using stealth tactics try to stop regulated sport hunting in countries around the world. They have instructed anti-gun Congresswoman Nita Lowey (D-NY, NRA Rated "F") to insert language in a US House report which would ban the use of funds from the US Agency of International Development (USAID) to support any type of hunting anywhere in the world. This is part of a Report on H.R. 2764 (Foreign Operations Funding Bill).

USAID dishes out billions of dollars each year to developing countries. Some of this money goes to African countries in particular to support regulated sport hunting as a means of sensible, science based wildlife management. Namibia's conservancy program comes to mind as recipients of aid for hunting programs. These programs will collapse without this aid. The direct result will be an increase in poaching and other unregulated killing of game animals. And regulated sport hunting in places like Namibia may become a thing of the past.

Wildlife species in Africa have literally been saved by regulated sport hunting. Even the World Wildlife Fund wholeheartedly supports regulated hunting throughout Africa. They are the primary impetus behind programs to reinstitute hunting in Kenya which was banned in the 1970's. Since then elephant populations have plummeted in Kenya due to rampant poaching and a lack of funds to manage wildlife properly. In Tanzania where hunters spend millions of dollars every year on hunting, elephant populations have soared because the government and the local people have an incentive to control poaching. If all the trophy animals are poached for meat then the money from sport hunting will dry up. It is simple economics. Unfortunately HSUS is so blinded by their hatred for hunting and hunters that they are willing to sacrifice healthy wildlife populations for their narrow world view.

The NRA/ILA staff is working hard with pro hunting Senators to stop the US House report from drying up funds for these important hunting programs.