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Ernest Mabuza
The Professional Hunters Association of South Africa (PHASA) will on Tuesday oppose an urgent application brought by some of its members who have challenged the resolution taken by the organisation to distance itself from captive-bred lion hunting and breeding.
Phasa adopted this resolution in its annual general meeting (AGM) in November last year.
However‚ 13 Phasa members who did not adhere to the resolution had their memberships suspended by the executive committee.
They then went to the High Court in Pretoria on an urgent basis to challenge their suspensions and the resolution taken at the 2015 AGM.
They want the court to order that their membership of Phasa be immediately reinstated‚ pending any disciplinary proceedings to be instituted against them.
They said if the application was placed on the normal opposed motion roll‚ the annual general meeting to be held by Phasa scheduled for next Wednesday be postponed indefinitely‚ pending the finalisation of the dispute.
In its affidavit opposing their application‚ Phasa said some of the applicants were members of another hunting organisation known as the South African Predators Association‚ which is in favour of captive-bred lion hunting and breeding.
Phasa said it gave the applicants seven days within which to provide reasons why their memberships should not be terminated.
Phasa said after receiving responses from the 13 members‚ it decided to lift suspensions of three members who had explained that they were not involved in breeding and hunting of lions.
Phasa said during April 2016‚ it came to Phasa’s attention that certain of its members continued to hunt‚ breed or market captive-bred lions.
The association dispatched letters to those members informing them of the resolution taken by Phasa in November last year that any of its members found to be involved in the hunting and marketing of captive-bred lions would face disciplinary action. The letter said if found to be in breach of this resolution‚ they would face possible termination of their Phasa memberships.
“Members engaging in captive-bred lion activities would be in direct violation of Phasa’s constitution‚ and would face an internal disciplinary hearing‚ which will end in dismissal if found guilty‚” Phasa president Stan Burger said in the letter dated April 18 this year.
In a statement issued on Thursday‚ Burger said his organisation stands by its resolution to distance itself from captive-bred lion hunting and breeding and will defend its resolution in court.
“Phasa’s concern is rooted in the fact that the prevailing view amongst carnivore specialists‚ is that the breeding of lions in captivity does not contribute to the conservation of the species‚” Burger said.
Burger said this view was shared by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species‚ the International Union for Conservation of Nature‚ the US Fish & Wildlife Services‚ the World Wildlife Fund and local hunting associations.
“Captive-bred lion breeding and shooting does not uphold the moral principle that justifies responsible‚ ethical and legal hunting of wild lion (where the conservation value of hunting has been scientifically proven time and again) under the conditions of fair chase.
“For this reason‚ it is ethically indefensible and we will not support it‚” Burger said.
- TMG Digital
Source: http://www.timeslive.co.za/local/20...ce-against-captive-bred-lion-hunting-in-court
The Professional Hunters Association of South Africa (PHASA) will on Tuesday oppose an urgent application brought by some of its members who have challenged the resolution taken by the organisation to distance itself from captive-bred lion hunting and breeding.
Phasa adopted this resolution in its annual general meeting (AGM) in November last year.
However‚ 13 Phasa members who did not adhere to the resolution had their memberships suspended by the executive committee.
They then went to the High Court in Pretoria on an urgent basis to challenge their suspensions and the resolution taken at the 2015 AGM.
They want the court to order that their membership of Phasa be immediately reinstated‚ pending any disciplinary proceedings to be instituted against them.
They said if the application was placed on the normal opposed motion roll‚ the annual general meeting to be held by Phasa scheduled for next Wednesday be postponed indefinitely‚ pending the finalisation of the dispute.
In its affidavit opposing their application‚ Phasa said some of the applicants were members of another hunting organisation known as the South African Predators Association‚ which is in favour of captive-bred lion hunting and breeding.
Phasa said it gave the applicants seven days within which to provide reasons why their memberships should not be terminated.
Phasa said after receiving responses from the 13 members‚ it decided to lift suspensions of three members who had explained that they were not involved in breeding and hunting of lions.
Phasa said during April 2016‚ it came to Phasa’s attention that certain of its members continued to hunt‚ breed or market captive-bred lions.
The association dispatched letters to those members informing them of the resolution taken by Phasa in November last year that any of its members found to be involved in the hunting and marketing of captive-bred lions would face disciplinary action. The letter said if found to be in breach of this resolution‚ they would face possible termination of their Phasa memberships.
“Members engaging in captive-bred lion activities would be in direct violation of Phasa’s constitution‚ and would face an internal disciplinary hearing‚ which will end in dismissal if found guilty‚” Phasa president Stan Burger said in the letter dated April 18 this year.
In a statement issued on Thursday‚ Burger said his organisation stands by its resolution to distance itself from captive-bred lion hunting and breeding and will defend its resolution in court.
“Phasa’s concern is rooted in the fact that the prevailing view amongst carnivore specialists‚ is that the breeding of lions in captivity does not contribute to the conservation of the species‚” Burger said.
Burger said this view was shared by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species‚ the International Union for Conservation of Nature‚ the US Fish & Wildlife Services‚ the World Wildlife Fund and local hunting associations.
“Captive-bred lion breeding and shooting does not uphold the moral principle that justifies responsible‚ ethical and legal hunting of wild lion (where the conservation value of hunting has been scientifically proven time and again) under the conditions of fair chase.
“For this reason‚ it is ethically indefensible and we will not support it‚” Burger said.
- TMG Digital
Source: http://www.timeslive.co.za/local/20...ce-against-captive-bred-lion-hunting-in-court
