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France becomes the 1st European state to ban lion trophies

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Monday, November 23, 2015
Reims, France


Last week, Ségolène Royal, the French Minister of Ecology, Sustainable Development and Energy, decided to ban the import of lion trophies into French territory. Instructions were given to government agencies to no longer issue permits authorizing hunters to bring lion trophies into the country.

This is a strong and essential measure toward protecting the last remaining African lions, commented Céline Sissler-Bienvenu, Director of IFAW for France and francophone Africa. France follows in the footsteps of Australia with this ban, becoming the first member state of the European Union to take a protective step for lions and to send a discouraging message to hunters: hunting lions will no longer be on their travel itinerary.

This decision followed not only the tragedy of Cecil the Lion but also the recent airing of several documentaries on this theme.

Note to editors:
Only 20,000 lions remain in the wild. Their population has declined 60 percent over the past three decades. Victims of habitat loss and conflicts with local communities, lions are also directly threatened by trophy hunting, an unsustainable activity whose role in the rapid decline of lions continues to be underestimated, possibly intentionally.
The lion is listed under Appendix II of CITES, the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora created in 1975. This category includes “species not necessarily threatened with extinction, but in which trade must be controlled in order to avoid utilization incompatible with their survival”. CITES was created to guarantee that international trade in wildlife specimens do not harm the survival of species in the wild.


 About IFAW (International Fund for Animal Welfare)
Founded in 1969, IFAW saves animals in crisis around the world. With projects in more than 40 countries, IFAW rescues individual animals, works to prevent cruelty to animals and advocates for the protection of wildlife and habitats. For more information, visit www.ifaw.org. Follow us on Facebook and Twitter

Link: http://www.ifaw.org/united-states/news/france-becomes

I love France, I always had, I have you in my blood and my last name is the testimony. Reply