MPs have approved plans to ban trophy hunting imports in Britain in the Commons this morning.
Activists hailed our newspaper and its readers for their relentless campaigning to stop hunters bringing their sick souvenirs to the UK.
The Hunting Trophies (Import Prohibition) Bill will stop British big game hunters bringing home body parts of animals, including lions, rhinos, elephants and polar bears.
The bill, which has been in the making for four years, is now the strictest of its kind in the world.
It received an unopposed third reading from MPs and will now undergo further scrutiny in the House of Lords before it becomes law.
Environment minister Trudy Harrison told the Commons this morning: We are sending a very strong message to the rest of the world that in this country, where we can, we are demonstrating our support for endangered species.
“We do not accept their body parts being used as so-called trophies to be brought back into this country.”
Ms Harrison came close to tears as she emotionally said: "Dare I say that Cecil the lion has not died in vain."
Cecil, the world's most famous lion, was shot with a bow and arrow by a dentist who paid £35,000 to butcher the wild animal in 2015.
The killing sparked international outrage, with a petition for justice gaining hundreds of thousands of signatures.
A pledge to introduce a ban on trophy hunting imports was included in the Tory election manifesto in 2019 but it faced repeated hurdles.
Celebrities and campaigners have rallied in support of the ban.
They include Sir Ranulph Fiennes, Gary Lineker, Dame Joanna Lumley, Dame Judi Dench, Liam Gallagher, Sir Rod Stewart and Ricky Gervais.
Speaking yesterday afternoon, Eduardo Goncalves, who set up the Ban Trophy Hunting campaign in 2018, celebrated the “huge victory”, as he declared “voiceless animals got a hearing today”.
He said: “I want to thank the Mirror for its amazing support and I want to thank all those brilliant Mirror readers who've been lobbying their MPs, making sure that the hunting industry doesn't get its way and helping protect lions, elephants, and other animals that sick British trophy hunters kill for kicks.”
Sir Ranulph Fiennes said: “Today is a historic moment both for Britain and our wildlife around the world. The success of the campaign to ban trophy hunting imports to the UK will have a positive effect on persecuted animals everywhere.
Wildlife campaigner and TV presenter Chris Packham said: "Trophy hunting will quite rightly come to an end for many reasons - it’s a grotesque anachronistic waste of beautiful life to start with.”
Downton Abbey star Peter Egan said he was “thrilled” by the news.
He added: “I don't understand how any human being can so violently murder an innocent animal. It's just wonderful to get such good news about such a despicable, horrible hobby of psychopaths.”
Tory MP Henry Smith, who tabled the bill, said: “This is an issue that has nothing to do with party politics; it has everything to do with basic British values of decency, fairness, and respect for our natural world. I am proud to say that today we rightfully stood up for voiceless animals.”
MPs also paid tribute to David Amess who was passionately involved in the campaign for a ban on trophy hunting imports until his murder in 2021.
The bill passed despite opponents’ last-minute tabling a raft of amendments that would water down the legislation.
Claire Bass, senior director of campaigns and public affairs at Humane Society International/UK, said she was “delighted that this extremely popular Bill has passed its Report stage and Third reading”.
She added: “We’re relieved that only two of the 32 amendments were debated and accepted, though disappointed that one of them locks down the list of species to which the legislation applies, removing the power for the Environment Secretary to add Cape Buffalo, one of the ‘big five’ species, and other species in need of protection.”
Katheryn Wise, Wildlife Campaigns Manager, World Animal Protection said: “World Animal Protection is thrilled that this bill passed its final stages in the House of Commons. This is a huge step forward in ending the exploitation of wild animals killed for “sport.”
"Parliament must continue to support this bill and deliver on the government’s promises to raise the bar on animal welfare. Our research shows that this bill is overwhelmingly supported by the UK public.”
Speaking after the Commons debate, the PM's deputy spokesman said: "We fully support the bill returning to the house today, which will ban the import of hunting trophies from endangered animals and we'll deliver on the manifesto commitment.
"This follows extensive engagement with international partners and NGOs overseas and their consultation process which demonstrated the real strength of public feeling on this issue, the threat to endangered species."
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