May 6th, 2009
By Barbara Kessler
Green Right Now
Some wildlife advocates are incensed that eBay continues to allow postings for trophy hunts of lions, leopards, bears, wolves and other predators.
Big Wildlife and Raincoast Conservation have been urging eBay to stop postings for guided trophy hunts since February. The groups consider trophy hunting of carnivores to be unethical and fear that such hunts imperil animals that are already jeopardized by dwindling habitat and poaching.
But eBay has declined to stop the posts about trophy hunts for leopards (see picture) and other predators.
In a letter to the groups released this week, Vice President and Deputy General Counsel Tod Cohen explained that the global auction company has decided against restricting the sale of trophy hunts.
“eBay is an open marketplace based on the principle that anyone can buy or sell just about anything, as long as those sales comply with applicable laws and our policies…” Cohen wrote. “…our general rule is that if an item can be sold legally off eBay, it can be sold on eBay.”
The letter explained that eBay restricts the sale of certain items, such as ivory for example, because it is forbidden to trade in ivory in certain countries. eBay also forbids the sale of firearms and of live animals, because it has no way to verify the proper permitting has taken place.
With regard to wildlife, the letter noted that eBay has worked with wildlife advocates to ban the sale of “canned” hunts where killing an animal is guaranteed, or where animals are shot in fenced enclosures. But that eBay continues to allow the sale of animal hunting “experiences” that are legal and similar to other hunting/travel packages sold elsewhere on the Internet, such as on the websites of outdoor retailer Cabela.
Other items that eBay restricts are those considered “offensive,” like Nazi paraphernalia, because they are “offensive to millions of people” and also illegal to possess in Germany, Austria, Italy and France, Cohen wrote.
In response to eBay’s decision, Big Wildlife, an Oregon group which represents a network of more than 6,000 wildlife advocates, and Raincoast Conservation, based in British Columbia, announced Tuesday that they would continue the campaign against eBay and the ads for trophy hunts because they believe these practices are offensive to the wider public.
“Most people believe gunning down a majestic African lion for “sport’ and a trophy is offensive. Most people think killing a grizzly bear so that the animal ends up as a throw over Sarah Palin’s office couch is offensive,” said Big Wildlife’s Communications Director Brian Vincent.
“Have the lives of Canada’s grizzly bears, wolves and other large carnivores become so cheapened in the eyes of the purveyors of trophy hunting that selling an opportunity to kill one is now as commonplace as trying to unload a used kitchen appliance or an autographed baseball on eBay?” asked Chris Genovali, executive director of the British Columbia-based Raincoast Conservation.
The groups maintain that people are concerned about the loss of predators in a world with declining wild areas, pointing out that predators are “keystone species” whose absence can trigger a cascading loss of wildlife and fauna.
“All the species we focus on serve important roles in ecosystems,” Vincent said. “Furthermore, we believe it is unethical and immoral to kill these animals for “sport” and trophy. Remember, these animals are shot — not for food — but to become a head on a wall or rug in front of a fireplace. These animals are killed for the thrill of it. We find that reprehensible.”
Polling in British Columbia has indicated strong public opposition to grizzly trophy hunting, Genovali said. “The ethical, ecological and evolutionary issues are compelling, but so is the economic argument — we did a study in ‘03 that showed grizzly bear viewing brings in twice the amount of annual revenue as the grizzly hunt.”
Genovali added that eBay’s argument to allow trophy hunt ads because they are legal is “a cop out – just because something is legal does not mean it is ethical or sustainable.”
(Photos from eBay ad for leopard hunting and ad for wolf hunting.)
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