WASHINGTON — The top Republican on the House Foreign Affairs Committee says the Trump administration’s decision to allow importation of body parts from African elephants shot for sport is the “wrong move at the wrong time.”
Rep. Ed Royce of California on Friday called on the administration to withdraw the decision until Zimbabwe, engulfed in an economic and political crisis, stabilizes.
Royce said elephants and other big game in Africa are “blood currency for terrorist organizations.” He said stopping poaching isn’t just about protecting the animals, it’s about national security.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service said in a written notice issued Thursday that permitting elephants from Zimbabwe and Zambia to be brought back as trophies will raise money for conservation programs.
