Recreational hunting—should India allow trade of wildlife trophies?

[panzernain]

A multi-million dollar industry, recreational hunting can fund conservation efforts. But it can also promote illegal trade. An interesting article on conservation through hunting.

http://www.downtoearth.org.in/news/recr ... ies--54241

[peacelover]

I would love to import trophies if govt allows.

[panzernain]

I would love to import trophies if govt allows.

Can be imported. The procedure is mentioned in the article.

[Ajaaybeer]

Hunting is a natural instinct that excites a man although the instinct has diminished during evolution like the tail bone. Since humans employ weapons for hunting so this is not a equal fight for hunter and prey which renders the instinct to be rather a vestigial instinct. Anyhow hunting still remains a recreation activity/luxury and not a necessity and could be compared to use of alcohol for recreation and its not a human necessity like food and yet its a controlled trade and huge revenue source.
Since no illegal trade of alcohol is allowed to flourish as this would impact the revenue of govt. So there is a possibility if govt. allows controlled hunting , it may generate revenue for state as well as for the wild life protection agencies.
Presently wildlife conservation agencies are lurking with shortage of staff and weapons and basic amenities. If the revenue could fuel the efforts maybe it could be better regulated. On top of that, such sport should be heavily charged. It could give opportunity to develop lost arts of trophy making and tanning.
I have always wondered why does not govt. come up with farming policies for rearing certain wildlife animals such as deer as in Newzealand. It can fuel wildlife conservation efforts. A high quality deer leather could be harvested. A trade of deer trophies can florish. The age old ayurvedic tradition of using Kastoori in scents or medicines etc. could be made available without killing wild animals. A fixed quota of animal yield could be sent to sanctuaries where carnivorous animals face scarcity of food.
There could be other drawbacks which I may not be able to visualize at the moment, like concentration of gene pool of breeding stock or some infection which they might transmit to animals in wild. But then always that could be regulated.
The people in our country have all the free time in the world, you give them something different to do and tell them it would surely generate money, they will put their heart and soul in that.

From pen of
A.S Sandhu