8月6日口譯文章：獵獅消息匆匆使航空公司決議禁運獵物
近期，美國牙醫獵殺明星獅子塞西爾(Cecil)一事在交際媒體和天下各地引發了人們對佃獵的惱怒。此事也裸露了航空公司把受到獵殺的動物作為貨色輸送的究竟，或將有助於改變現有的航空政策。
周一，達美航空(Delta Air Lines)成為最新一家針對輸送獵物的運輸劃定作出修正的航空公司。總部處於布魯克林的花費者示威機構SumOfUs.org的運動總監保羅·費瑞斯(Paul Ferris)表現，除達美外，法國航空(Air France)、荷蘭皇家航空(KLM)、西班牙國度航空(Iberia)、國際航空團體(IAG Cargo)、新加坡航空(Singapore Airlines)和澳洲航空(Qantas)在上周均表現將制止輸送獵物。SumOfUs.org致力於推進貨運政策的修正。
“假如疏忽"大眾,"對塞西爾被殺的反響和對瀕危物種面對的逆境與日劇增的擔心，航空公司和其他大型旅遊公司無疑是愚昧的，” 費瑞斯說。
如許的禁令最初是由南非航空(South African Airways)在本年4月提議的，隨後阿聯酋航空(Emirates)、漢莎航空(Lufthansa)和英國航空(British Airways)也參加個中。這些公司許諾不會再運輸大型獵物，包含大象、犀牛、獅子和山君。
以前，個中一個拒不妥協的公司便是達美。這家公司具有美國和多個非洲國度之間的直飛航路。不外，面臨來自搭客和活動聽士的壓力，另有在Change.org網站上的示威行為，達美也妥協了。
“達美航空將正式在環球規模內制止以貨色情勢運輸任何獅子、豹、大象、犀牛和水牛，立刻見效，”達美航空談話人摩根·達蘭特(Morgan Durrant)說。“在此項禁令以前，達美嚴厲的貨色收寄政策完整遵照了列國當局對掩護物種的全體劃定。達美也將與相幹當局機談判其他構造一路考核其他獵物的收寄政策，以支撐正當運輸。”
固然，對付變更的倔強抵禦照樣存在的。南非航空起先提議對獵物運輸的禁令，是由於運往吉隆坡的一單貨色標誌為機器部件，但在澳大利亞經停時被發明是象牙。不外，從7月開端就有報導稱，南非航空已撤消禁令，又開端從新運輸被殺的獵物。
在來自非洲以外的獵人中，美國人占了很大一部門。依據提倡本心佃獵的非營利構造“掩護力氣”(Conservation Force)供給的數據，每一年有1.5萬名美國旅客前去非洲舉行佃獵遊。今朝，有11個非洲國度發表獵獅允許，個中包含津巴布韋、南非、納米比亞和坦桑尼亞。
依照職業獵人協會(Professional Hunters Association)頒布的數據，在這些國度中，南非的佃獵行業範圍最大，估量產值在6.75億美元上下。一樣主要的是，佃獵還與奢華旅行業聯合了起來。比喻說，獵獅的收費可達5.5萬美元。
非洲的很多大型動物獵場配有奢華留宿辦事。獵殺塞西爾的明尼蘇達牙醫瓦爾特帕爾默(Walter Palmer)采取的設備供給商布須曼遊獵公司(Bushman Safaris)即為一例。
連鎖奢華旅店其實不會訓斥為了得到懷念品而舉行的佃獵運動，也不會制止來賓獵殺大型動物，只管此類運動對本地經濟進獻寥寥。依據智庫“自由經濟學人”(Economists at Large)宣布的一份申報，佃獵運動的收入中，不到3%流向了本地導遊、企業主或是棲身在鄰近動物領地的社區裏的大眾。
很多動物掩護人士覺得內心不安，他們以為範例佃獵運動的律例說話隱約，並且每每會致使偷獵。
各方對非洲獅種群範圍的估算紛歧，不外很多說法以為一個世紀前約為10萬頭。今朝的數據則為3.5萬頭上下。獅子的種群範圍曾較為穩固，但在曩昔三年裏明顯縮小，是以美國魚類和野活潑物治理局(United States Fish and Wildlife Service)發起將之列為受威逼物種。
只管進入名錄其實不會祛除佃獵行動，但會使其接收羈系，方法是推出將獵取的動物運入美國的入口允許軌制。否決把獅子參加名錄的人士擔憂，治理局的這項發起會攔阻經由過程佃獵來籌集掩護基金。有關這項發起的決議將於2016年1月做出。
不外，只管聯邦羈系方面措施遲緩，動物掩護人士表現，在推進變更上，達美等航空公司和其他種別的旅行企業所處的地位要有益很多。
【檢察譯文】
The recent killing of a popular lion named Cecil by an American dentist in Zimbabwe sparked considerable outrage on social media and elsewhere against safari hunting. The event has also brought to light the role that airlines play in transporting trophy kills as cargo, and may have contributed to changing airline policy.
On Monday, Delta Air Lines became the latest carrier to change its rules about transporting hunting trophies. Its announcement came as a group of airlines including Air France, KLM, Iberia, IAG Cargo, Singapore Airlines and Qantas signaled last week they would ban the transport of trophy-hunting kills, according to Paul Ferris, the campaign director at SumOfUs.org, a consumer-based petition agency in Brooklyn, which has pressed for changing cargo policies.
“Airlines and other large travel corporations would be foolish to ignore the public reaction to the killing of Cecil the lion, and growing concern about the plight of endangered species,” Mr. Ferris said.
Such a ban was initiated by South African Airways in April, and Emirates, Lufthansa and British Airways later joined. These airlines pledged not to carry big game trophies, including elephants, rhinos, lions and tigers as cargo.
One major holdout had been Delta, which has direct service between the United States and countries in Africa. But bowing to pressure from some travelers and activists, and an online petition on Change.org, Delta changed its position too.
“Effective immediately, Delta will officially ban shipment of all lion, leopard, elephant, rhinoceros and buffalo trophies worldwide as freight,” according to a statement by Morgan Durrant, a Delta spokesman. “Prior to this ban, Delta’s strict acceptance policy called for absolute compliance with all government regulations regarding protected species. Delta will also review acceptance policies of other hunting trophies with appropriate government agencies and other organizations supporting legal shipments.”
Still resistance to change can run deep. South African Airways initially banned trophy cargo after a shipment of elephant tusks marked as machine parts bound for Kuala Lumpur was discovered during a stop in Australia. But since July there have been reports that SAA lifted the ban and has resumed shipping trophy kills.
Americans make up the bulk of non-African hunters. About 15,000 American tourists visit Africa on hunting safaris every year, according to Conservation Force, a nonprofit group that advocates responsible hunting. Currently, 11 African countries issue lion-hunting permits, including Zimbabwe, South Africa, Namibia and Tanzania.
Of those, South Africa’s hunting industry is the biggest, estimated to be worth around $675 million, according to the Professional Hunters Association. And just as important, it is woven into the luxury sector of the travel industry, with fees that can reach $55,000 to hunt lions, for example.
Many of the ranches in Africa where big game is hunted have their own luxury accommodations. Such is the case with Bushman Safaris, the outfitters used by Walter Palmer, the Minnesota dentist.
Luxury hotel chains do not condemn trophy hunting or ban hotel guests from big-game hunting, even though it does little for the local economy. Less than 3 percent of the revenue from trophy hunting goes to local guides, business owners or people living in communities near the animals, according to a report by the think tank Economists at Large.
Many conservationists are concerned that the laws regulating trophy hunting can be ambiguous and often lead to poaching.
African lion population numbers vary, but many estimate there were about 100,000 a century ago. Today, there are around 35,000. Lion populations had been stable, but because they dropped noticeably in the last three years, the United States Fish and Wildlife Service has proposed listing the lion as a threatened species.
While this would not eliminate trophy hunting, it would regulate it through a permit system for importing sport-hunted trophies into the United States. Opponents to the listing are concerned that the agency’s proposal would hamper conservation funds raised by the fees collected for trophy hunting. A decision is expected by January 2016.
But while the pace of federal regulation moves slowly, conservationists said airlines like Delta and other travel corporations are in a much better position to press for change.
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