Online Reporter
Business Reporter
INTERNATIONAL hunting organisations and safari operators are launching an urgent diplomatic and financial campaign to block a proposed French executive decree that would ban the import of hunting trophies from endangered species listed under CITES Appendices I and II.
In a letter issued August 20, 2026, to members, partners and international stakeholders, Jean-Pierre Bernon—president of the Association des Guides de Grande Chasse (AGGC) and vice-president of the International Professional Hunters Association (IPHA)—warned that French Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu intends to enact the import ban shortly through a Prime Ministerial Decree.
The move follows a July 31 regulatory instruction issued by Mathieu Lefèvre, Minister Delegate for Ecological Transition, directing national CITES authorities to immediately halt the processing of import permits for threatened species ahead of the formal decree.
By using an executive decree, the French government is bypassing parliamentary debate in the National Assembly and Senate.
Hunting representatives argue the policy was crafted following consultations with animal welfare organisations without equivalent input from wildlife management experts or African range states.
The AGGC and its international coalition are calling on African political leaders—including environmental ministers, senior wildlife officials, and heads of state — to intervene directly with French policymakers.
