The Declaration on the Abolition of Trophy Hunting unites public figures from around the world in calling on individuals, governments, and international bodies to end the cruel and outdated practice of trophy hunting. Please sign and share our petition to the United Nations General Assembly and help bring an end to this needless killing.

DECLARATION ON THE ABOLITION OF TROPHY HUNTING

Trophy hunting is an act of violence that stands as a tragic symbol of our fractured relationship with nature. It denies that animals are sentient beings, and places species, ecosystems and ultimately humanity itself at risk.

The continued killing of large numbers of wild animals for trophies is rooted in outdated and misplaced notions of dominance and conquest over nature. In a civilised society, there can be no moral justification for taking the life of an animal merely for entertainment and vanity.

Trophy hunting disrupts complex social structures within animal communities. Trophy hunters often inflict appalling injuries on the animals they target. Threatened species, already struggling to survive, are actively pursued.

The removal of the largest, strongest, and biologically fittest individuals is particularly concerning. These possess important traits that have aided in their species’ survival during the course of evolution. They are now more important than ever in our rapidly changing environment.

Despite mounting evidence of its harmful impacts, a powerful commercial industry continues to promote and profit from the killing of extraordinary numbers of wild animals. It rewards and honours individuals who kill the largest or highest numbers of animals, and encourages others to emulate or exceed such perceived accomplishments.

There are ethically and economically robust alternatives to trophy hunting. Community-based tourism, ecological restoration, and habitat protection can generate sustainable income while preserving biodiversity. These approaches respect both nature and human dignity.

Ethics and the welfare of wild animals can no longer be treated as dispensable afterthoughts on our fragile, ailing planet. The preservation and restoration of a life-sustaining environment requires an end to humanity’s suicidal war with nature.

This requires us to value nature not only for the direct and indirect benefits it provides us with, but also for its intrinsic worth. It is therefore imperative that we invest in conservation in a way and at a scale that reflects humanity’s interdependence with the ecosystems we inhabit.

Moreover, it necessitates an understanding of the consequences of our individual and collective behaviours and choices - many of which are fuelling destruction of the earth’s life support systems at a rate unprecedented in human history.

We need to fundamentally reset and heal our relationship with the natural world and must ask ourselves: why is killing wild animals under the guise of ‘sport’ still permissible?

We can—and must—end this practice, and do so now. Deeply rooted in the colonial past, trophy hunting has no place in the future we should strive to build. Let us consign it to history, where it belongs.

We call on individuals, nations, and international bodies to act. Now.