Philippe Bernon works for JB Bernon Safari, which organizes hunting trips abroad mainly in Africa, the American continent and Oceania. Philippe returns from the United States, he participated in the Safari Club International. A huge hunting room where everything is excessive. Interview.
Let’s hunt: What is the Sdinner Cthe International (SCI) ?
PB. It’s an organization internationale of hunters founded in 1972 by CJ McElroy and which is intended to defend and to promote the hunt. To do this, a fair is organized each year in the United States. et which takes place at the beginning of the year. For many, many yearshe living room bound to Las Vegas or in Reno in Nevada but This year the fair was held for the first time at Nashville in Tennessee. C’is one of the older living roomsone of the best known, and the whole world is represented there.
Let’s hunt: How is the show going? SCI ?
PB. For four days, more than 850 exhibitors are present. We y find all professionals in the hunting world (organizers of hunting trips, taxidermists, weapon manufacturers, cutlers, artists, equipment manufacturers, etc…) and also some professionals from the world of fishing. In reality, it works like a salon in France except that everything is disproportionate, whether over there surface (large convention center)the number ofexhibitors and visitors but also by the price of the entries which is about 100$ per day.
During this show are held conferences, sales to auction take place every day (travel, weapons, sculptures, etc.) the money raised is used to organize the SCI. Every evening, a dinner gala is organized by the fair. During thiss soiréesof the « awards » are given to hunters who have distinguished themselves through their hunting actions.
Chassons: What are they doing for wildlife in Africa?
PB. They raise funds for defend and promote hunting, they make a very a lot of lobbying work. This is important because the hunting grounds in Africa for example represent 20% more than all African national parks. The majority of these hunting grounds are not conducive to tourism because these places are difficult to accessthere is little or no infrastructure and nature maybe harsh. If the hunt were to stop, these territories would be abandoneds, poaching would explode and wildlife would be replaced by cattle or fields to cultivate.
