劉巖
8月6日口譯文章:獵獅新聞促使航空公司決定禁運(yùn)獵物
近期,美國(guó)牙醫(yī)獵殺明星獅子塞西爾(cecil)一事在社交媒體和世界各地激發(fā)了人們對(duì)狩獵的憤怒。此事也暴露了航空公司把遭到獵殺的動(dòng)物作為貨物運(yùn)送的事實(shí),或?qū)⒂兄谵D(zhuǎn)變現(xiàn)有的航空政策。
周一,達(dá)美航空(delta air lines)成為最新一家針對(duì)運(yùn)送獵物的運(yùn)輸規(guī)定作出修改的航空公司??偛课挥诓剪斂肆值南M(fèi)者請(qǐng)?jiān)笝C(jī)構(gòu)sumofus的活動(dòng)總監(jiān)保羅費(fèi)瑞斯(paul ferris)表示,除達(dá)美外,法國(guó)航空(air france)、荷蘭皇家航空(klm)、西班牙國(guó)家航空(iberia)、國(guó)際航空集團(tuán)(iag cargo)、新加坡航空(singapore airlines)和澳洲航空(qantas)在上周均表示將禁止運(yùn)送獵物。sumofus致力于推動(dòng)貨運(yùn)政策的修改。
如果無(wú)視公眾對(duì)塞西爾被殺的反應(yīng)和對(duì)瀕危物種面臨的困境與日劇增的擔(dān)憂(yōu),航空公司和其他大型旅行公司無(wú)疑是愚蠢的, 費(fèi)瑞斯說(shuō)。
這樣的禁令最初是由南非航空(south african airways)在今年4月發(fā)起的,隨后阿聯(lián)酋航空(emirates)、漢莎航空(lufthansa)和英國(guó)航空(british airways)也加入其中。這些公司承諾不會(huì)再運(yùn)輸大型獵物,包括大象、犀牛、獅子和老虎。
之前,其中一個(gè)拒不讓步的公司就是達(dá)美。這家公司擁有美國(guó)和多個(gè)非洲國(guó)家之間的直飛航線(xiàn)。不過(guò),面對(duì)來(lái)自旅客和活動(dòng)人士的壓力,還有在change網(wǎng)站上的請(qǐng)?jiān)感袆?dòng),達(dá)美也讓步了。
達(dá)美航空將正式在全球范圍內(nèi)禁止以貨物形式運(yùn)輸任何獅子、豹、大象、犀牛和水牛,立即生效,達(dá)美航空發(fā)言人摩根達(dá)蘭特(man durrant)說(shuō)。在此項(xiàng)禁令之前,達(dá)美嚴(yán)格的貨物收寄政策完全遵守了各國(guó)政府對(duì)保護(hù)物種的全部規(guī)定。達(dá)美也將與相關(guān)政府機(jī)構(gòu)和其他組織一起審核其他獵物的收寄政策,以支持合法運(yùn)輸。
當(dāng)然,對(duì)于變革的頑強(qiáng)抵抗還是存在的。南非航空起初發(fā)起對(duì)獵物運(yùn)輸?shù)慕?,是因?yàn)檫\(yùn)往吉隆坡的一單貨物標(biāo)記為機(jī)械部件,但在澳大利亞經(jīng)停時(shí)被發(fā)現(xiàn)是象牙。不過(guò),從7月開(kāi)始就有報(bào)道稱(chēng),南非航空已經(jīng)取消禁令,又開(kāi)始重新運(yùn)輸被殺的獵物。
在來(lái)自非洲之外的獵人中,美國(guó)人占了很大一部分。根據(jù)倡導(dǎo)良心狩獵的非營(yíng)利組織保護(hù)力量(conservation force)提供的數(shù)據(jù),每年有15萬(wàn)名美國(guó)游客前往非洲進(jìn)行狩獵游。目前,有11個(gè)非洲國(guó)家頒發(fā)獵獅許可,其中包括津巴布韋、南非、納米比亞和坦桑尼亞。
按照職業(yè)獵人協(xié)會(huì)(professional hunters association)公布的數(shù)據(jù),在這些國(guó)家中,南非的狩獵行業(yè)規(guī)模最大,估計(jì)產(chǎn)值在675億美元左右。同樣重要的是,狩獵還與豪華旅游業(yè)結(jié)合了起來(lái)。比方說(shuō),獵獅的收費(fèi)可達(dá)55萬(wàn)美元。
非洲的不少大型動(dòng)物獵場(chǎng)配有豪華住宿服務(wù)。獵殺塞西爾的明尼蘇達(dá)牙醫(yī)瓦爾特帕爾默(walter palmer)采用的裝備供應(yīng)商布須曼游獵公司(bushman safaris)即為一例。
連鎖豪華酒店并不會(huì)譴責(zé)為了獲得紀(jì)念品而進(jìn)行的狩獵活動(dòng),也不會(huì)禁止賓客獵殺大型動(dòng)物,盡管此類(lèi)活動(dòng)對(duì)當(dāng)?shù)亟?jīng)濟(jì)貢獻(xiàn)寥寥。根據(jù)智庫(kù)自由經(jīng)濟(jì)學(xué)人(economists at large)發(fā)布的一份報(bào)告,狩獵活動(dòng)的收入中,不到3%流向了當(dāng)?shù)貙?dǎo)游、企業(yè)主或是居住在臨近動(dòng)物領(lǐng)地的社區(qū)里的民眾。
許多動(dòng)物保護(hù)人士感到憂(yōu)心忡忡,他們認(rèn)為規(guī)范狩獵活動(dòng)的法規(guī)措辭模糊,而且往往會(huì)導(dǎo)致偷獵。
各方對(duì)非洲獅種群規(guī)模的估算不一,不過(guò)許多說(shuō)法認(rèn)為一個(gè)世紀(jì)前約為10萬(wàn)頭。目前的數(shù)據(jù)則為35萬(wàn)頭左右。獅子的種群規(guī)模曾經(jīng)較為穩(wěn)定,但在過(guò)去三年里顯著縮小,因此美國(guó)魚(yú)類(lèi)和野生動(dòng)物管理局(united states fish and wildlife service)提議將之列為受威脅物種。
盡管進(jìn)入名錄并不會(huì)消滅狩獵行為,但會(huì)使其接受監(jiān)管,方式是推出將獵取的動(dòng)物運(yùn)入美國(guó)的進(jìn)口許可制度。反對(duì)把獅子列入名錄的人士擔(dān)心,管理局的這項(xiàng)提議會(huì)阻礙通過(guò)狩獵來(lái)籌集保護(hù)基金。有關(guān)這項(xiàng)建議的決定將于2016年1月做出。
不過(guò),盡管聯(lián)邦監(jiān)管方面步伐緩慢,動(dòng)物保護(hù)人士表示,在推動(dòng)變革上,達(dá)美等航空公司和其他類(lèi)別的旅游企業(yè)所處的位置要有利得多。
【查看譯文】
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, 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, 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 man durrant, a delta spokesman prior to this ban, deltas strict acceptance policy called for absolute pliance with all ernment regulations regarding protected species delta will also review acceptance policies of other hunting trophies with appropriate ernment agencies and other anizations 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 africas 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 acmodations 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 munities 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 agencys 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