Watching some of the debate in parliament on International Wildlife Crime you have to be struck by the irony. Nobody can fail surely to support any action that tackles the poaching of elephants for ivory and of tigers. But who are those MPs speaking up so passionately? Could they be Nick Herbert and Richard Benyon? They surely can. They are the wealthy owners of grouse moors and members of the Countryside Alliance and its precursor the British Field Sports Society. And what have these wealthy people done to develop a more wildlife friendly countryside in this country? You would hope they are in a better position to make a positive contribution compared to the negative one made by the mostly impoverished poachers in Africa and Asia. Ask the Hen Harrier - though you would be lucky to find one considering the way they manage the moors.
At least there was less of a whiff of double standards when another Tory MP was speaking: David Amess, had voted in favour of the ban on fox hunting.
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