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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.)

Copyright © 2009 Green Right Now | Distributed by Noofangle Media

eBay announced this week that it will pave the way for eco-conscious consumers with a new marketplace dubbed “WorldofGood.com by eBay”. Designed to help shoppers find green and socially responsible products, the new shopping site will feature items made from recycled materials, organic raw goods and artisan wares produced by people in developing nations.

The partnership between the world’s largest online marketplace and World of Good, Inc., a start-up that aims to bring ethically produced goods to retailers, makes a certain sense.

Much of what is already sold on eBay are used items being launched into a second or third reincarnation, prolonging their life and diverting them from the landfill. Of course, eBay has evolved to include an array of stores selling new items as well, and this move will add another dimension with a bit of irony: Many of the new earth-friendly products on WorldofGood will be first-use products, potentially shinier and newer than that the yellowed, scratched or nicked household gadgets and toys boomeranging around the 24/7 digital garage sale.

Still, eBay, a Silicon Valley Internet success story founded in 1995, will be accomplishing something that may vex other businesses at this time of green growth and introspection: The giant purveyor of personal commerce will be expanding their offerings, but not in an ostentatiously consumptive way.

The WorldofGood site will divide products into “People Positive” and “Eco Positive” items, spreading them around in 15 categories, like jewelry, clothing, food, and offering products increasingly demanded by consumers, such as fair trade coffee and animal-friendly beauty products.

The website also will employ a label for each product – a Goodprint – that helps explain how good it really is and in what ways. It will tag products for empowering local people, conserving energy or being made of recycled materials.

“We created the WorldofGood.com marketplace to enable shoppers to purchase socially responsible products with confidence,” said Robert Chatwani, general manager of WorldofGood.com by eBay, in a news release. “Regardless of the social causes most important to consumers, they can easily shop for items according to a variety of different attributes, allowing them to customize their shopping impact.”

Copyright © 2008 | Distributed by Noofangle Media