Here comes #NotInMyWorld, HSI/Europe’s new campaign to say enough for bounty hunting
Although the European Union is the second largest importer of hunting trophies after the United States, many Italians may not know that it is legal to travel abroad to hunt endangered species and return their stuffed bodies or parts as “trophies”. . Targeted killing of iconic species such as elephants, African lions, rhinos, polar bears, lynxes, walruses, captive-bred tigers and saber-horned oryx – species that are extinct in the wild – seems a distant problem.
Although killing takes place in Africa, North America and Russia, the sad truth is that the European Union plays a crucial and deadly role when it comes to bounty hunting. What intrigues European hunters is to be able to ship their trophies home. Between 2014 and 2020, Italy imported 437 trophies of internationally protected species. At the EU level, our country is the number one importer of hippo trophies and the fourth largest importer of wild African lion trophies. Moreover, Italy played an important role in the trade of African elephant cups, being the fifth importer of this species from the European Union.
The HSI / Europe #NotInMyWorld campaign aims to inform Italian citizens that even today, elephants’ legs can be turned into flower pots and ashtrays, giraffe necks into floor lamps and polar bears into carpets. All this, incredibly, legally. According to one Recent survey commissioned by HSI/Europe 86% of Italians oppose bounty hunting for all wild animals.
Martina Bloda, Director of Humane Society International/Europe for Italy says: The Italian would not be in a position to stop the horrific killing of animals in other countries, but we can choose to close our doors to these awards and demand that politics act. With #NotInMyWorld we are looking at the problem of bounty hunting from a different angle, not by focusing on what is happening in other countries, but by showing that we are contributing to the problem from the European Union. The poignant campaign speaks for itself: the contrast between killing and importing internationally protected animals and the modern society where wildlife conservation and biodiversity protection must be at the top of the political agenda is staggering. On the one hand, if Italy and the European Union are part of the problem, we can also be part of the solution, stopping the imports and exports of prizes to and from our country.”
HSI / Europe developed the campaign concept with the Austrian creative agency Offroad CommunicationIts main theme is represented by 3D animation of an elephant and a rhinoceros, completely wrapped in wrapping paper. The motto is: swipe. embalmed. packed. delivery? The campaign hashtag gives a direct answer to the provocative question: #NotInMyWorld, why killing for fun shouldn’t have a place in people’s hearts and minds.
Benjamin Remhof, Head of Design at Offroad Communication, Announce: Campaign images show the dramatic reality: carcasses of endangered animals are shipped around the world for profit and entertainment. Together with the #NotInMyWorld campaign hashtag, we’re sending a strong and clear message”.
Together with the publication of the report “cup chasing numbers”, HSI / Europe launched a file Direct petition to the Italian governmentHe called for a complete ban on the import, export and re-export of hunting spoils.
From 15 September, the campaign will be broadcast on all HSI/Europe communication channels, on major traditional and digital media platforms and will be presented with mobilization procedures at key locations.
The Italian government can no longer turn a blind eye to this problem. Trophy hunting has no place in modern society. The killing of wild animals by a small circle of hunters for trophies has a negative impact on the population of these animals and on the entire biodiversity, favors geopolitical inequality and does not provide significant social and economic benefits.
photo from photography Anna Cavigioli employment Unsplash
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