Abstract
THE international conference which met recently in London for the consideration of measures “For the Protection of the Fauna and Flora of Africa” has completed its deliberations. At the moment, however, it is impossible to summarise the results arrived at. The need for such a conference has long been apparent. For the creation of reservations and the enactment of legislation by individual governments, have been, it must be admitted, no more than partially successful. The difficulties in the path of those charged with the enforcement of the regulations laid down have been many; and those who have found profit in the exploitation of big game have shown a high degree of ingenuity in evading these regulations, or by specious arguments have succeeded, on occasions, in securing their modification to enable them to achieve private ends. How far the present conference will defeat opposition of this sort will be seen when its deliberations have been carefully analysed. But we trust that, among other things, some means will have been devised to put an end to the exploitation of this game by professional hunters, who organise ‘Safari trip's for the pleasure of amateur hunters, and the trophy hunter. We trust, too, that much closer scrutiny will be given to requests to shoot elephants, zebra and antelopes on the plea that they are damaging crops, or carrying disease; for such pleas have been advanced more than once, as a cover for obtaining the highly marketable commodities, ivory and hides.
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Protection of the Fauna and Flora of Africa. Nature 132, 776 (1933). https://doi.org/10.1038/132776a0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/132776a0