Avoiding problems with trophy import in the EU

Avoiding problems with trophy import in the EU
By Rolf. D. Baldus

The International Council for Game and Wildlife Conservation (CIC) advises all outfitters, taxidermy companies and trophy exporters outside the European Community that pursuant to the EU-Commission Regulation 142/2011 they have to be registered at the EU authorities, if they intend to export hunting trophies into countries of the EU in the future.

This rule refers to all trophies of animals with horns, feathers or hooves. Elephants, carnivores and crocodiles are not affected.

The regulation came into effect on 1 May 2011. However, many important hunting countries have not made the required registration to date. It is feared that in these cases hunters who are living in Europe will not receive their trophies for now.

The regulation stipulates that all 鍍rophy processing plants require a registration number from the EU Commission. The highest competent veterinary authority of an exporting country has to report such companies to the Directorate D (Animal Health) of the Directorate-General SANCO in Brussels and then receives a so called 鍍race?number for the respective company. This can be hunting companies, taxidermists or specialized shipping companies.

The new regulation will make it virtually impossible for foreign hunters to take their trophies home with them after the hunt.

The CIC points out that it is only a matter of registration, but not of certification of the businesses. Further, CIC is of the opinion that this is a case of over-regulation. Compared to foods, there have never been any veterinary problems with hunting trophies, which would warrant such a world-wide regulation. Completely incomprehensible is the fact that the EU only granted a transition period of 14 days until the regulation came into effect. Faced with 254 pages of regulations and 300 pages of implementation regulations it was totally impossible for people concerned in the export countries to comply with the requirements within that time limit.

CIC President Bernard Loz points out to European hunters, that already prior to booking hunting trips outside of the EU it must be ensured that the selected hunting company or the executing business is registered accordingly with the EU. 鏑uckily many important hunting countries, such as South Africa or Namibia, completed the registration process already. The others should catch up as quickly as possible, said President Loz? Sustainable hunting benefits the game and the biodiversity. The obligation to register complicates the import of trophies into the EU without any obvious benefit in return.

The text of the EU-Commission Regulation 142/2011 can be found in the Official Journal of the European Union, L 54, volume 54, 26 February 2011

Further information


Source: International Council for Game and Wildlife Conservation (CIC)

Hunters are being advised that all trophies to go through the local EU-approved Taxidermist whom would take care of the handling according to the new procedure to comply to the import regulations. This is referred to as DIP AND SHIP. It then be shipped to hunters choice of taxidermist.