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As the trophy hunting industry has grown over the last few decades, governments, conservationists, and animal welfare advocates are keen to understand its global economic and conservation impacts with data as supporting evidence.
Unfortunately, little credible research had been done to understand the global trophy industry’s extent and impact.
This report is a result of a comprehensive analysis of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) Trade Database. Approximately one million trade records of CITESlisted wildlife species are reported and entered into the database annually, accounting now for more than 13 million wildlife trade records of more than 34,000 scientific taxa names on the CITES Appendices.
As many as 1.7 million hunting trophies have been traded between nations between 2004 and 2014. And at least 200,000 trophies from threatened taxa, or an average of 20,0000 trophies per year, have been traded between nations in the same period.
Every year, trophy hunters kill tens of thousands of animals, some of them threatened or endangered, sometimes for the thrill of bringing home a trophy. In order to acquire trophies, trophy hunters tend to work with outfitters that may provide equipment, supplies, and trained guides, as well as arrange travel logistics and accommodations.