Press Release
The International Council for Game and Wildlife Conservation (CIC) is a politically
independent advisory body which aims to preserve wildlife and hunting. To achieve this
goal, the CIC is promoting on a global scale, sustainable use as a tool for conservation,
while building on valued traditions. Membership consists of states, national and
international organizations, individual members, as well as sponsors, all advocates of
sustainable wildlife management around the world.
YOUTH DEMANDS URGENT AC TION
AGAINST WILDLIFE CRIME
T
he 61st General Assembly of the International
Council for Game and Wildlife Conservation (CIC)
in Milan, Italy, under the motto “Youth, Hunting
and Biodiversity” ended on April 26th after four days of
intense deliberations by almost 450 participants from all
over the world. Bernard Lozé was re-elected for a second
term as President of the CIC. Together with a strong team
of international experts President Lozé will lead the CIC
to accomplish ambitious targets in the new four-year CIC
Campaign Plan announced during the opening session.
President Lozé explained “that the efforts of the CIC
leadership will target six strategic areas: recognition of
hunting as Living Human Heritage; wildlife conservation
through science-based sustainable use options; strengthening
the network of the Collaborative Partnership on Sustainable
Wildlife Management; creating a sound financial basis
through the CIC Conservation Fund; increase state
membership in particular in Africa and Asia; and finally
translating the Milan Declaration: Hunters United Against
Wildlife Crime (attached) into action plans for African and
Asian nations to curtail wildlife crime.”
“Some well-publicized international gatherings at
government level neglected the crucial role of the hunting
community and the real needs on the ground in the fight
of wildlife crime”, President Lozé said, “destroying ivory
stocks in New York, London, Sydney or Berlin does nothing
for the prevention of the elephant slaughter in Africa” the
CIC President continued. Benson Kibonde, Chief Game
Warden of the Selous Game Reserve (Tanzania) reaffirmed
this by stating “all recent summits stressed the necessity of
large amounts of money in the battle against wildlife crime,
but typically no funds have reached the front line”.
“Hunters have their boots on the ground in most of the
heavily threatened areas in Africa, and are for many years
financing dedicated anti-poaching efforts in cooperation
with conservation and law enforcement bodies” said
President Lozé. He highlighted that the Milan Declaration
was unanimously approved in the closing session of the
CIC General Assembly. President Lozé also announced the
new CIC Conservation Fund and, as a kick-start, personally
African Hunter Vol. 19 No. 5
[email protected]
committed a substantial amount to the fund, adding that he
“hoped this initial contribution would be matched by others
quickly”.
The technical sessions of the General Assembly debated
issues like certification of sustainable hunting, the economics
of sustainable wildlife management, transboundary
mammal conservation in cooperation with the Convention
on Migratory Species, the use of lead-free ammunition,
broad international cooperation in protecting migratory
birds along their flyways, amongst many other topics.
The CIC Division on Culture announced a symposium for
hunting museums from the 19 - 20 March 2015 in Paris,
organized in collaboration with the the Musée de la Chasse
et de la Nature, Fondation François Sommer pour la Chasse
et la Nature.
During the closing session of the General Assembly,
CIC President Lozé and Mr. Yan Xun, Deputy Head of the
Department of Wildlife Conservation and Nature Reserve
Management of the State Forestry Administration of China
signed a Cooperation Agreement as a milestone in the
relationship between the State Forest Administration of
China and the CIC.
The Collaborative Partnership on Sustainable
Wildlife Management (CPW), consisting of 12 member
organizations, also met on the f ɥ