June
3, 2014
Mr.
Craig Kaufman, President
Safari
Club International
4800
W. Gates Pass Road
Tucson,
AZ 85745
Dear
Mr. Kaufman
The International Professional Hunters’ Association and its
worldwide membership want to be put on record as objecting in the
strongest manner possible to SCI plans to start its own in house
booking agency – SCI Outdoors. We are deeply concerned about the
adverse repercussions such a move will have on our industry and it
seems unimaginable that SCI could even consider such a move, and
certainly that the organizations representing the interests of
professional hunters, outfitters and booking agents were not
consulted.
These organizations (which you like to call SCI Affiliated
Organizations) and their members have always played a major role in
the success of your convention and ultimately your organization and
it makes no sense that such a decision could be made without their
input - and a decision which will put you in direct competition with
so many loyal, longstanding members who have donated so much to your
organization.
In no way should Safari Club International be in the booking
business, nor in any way favor or support any of its members over
others. It is certainly doing this by competing against its own
members in this commercial activity,
a very
serious conflict of interest. It needs to focus on its
current mandate - representing the interests of
all of its
members, providing the marketplace to put operators together with
clients and fighting for the rights of hunters.
Our IPHA members have supported your organization since its
inception and are responsible for
thousands and thousands of dollars in your coffers from donated
hunts. We are deeply concerned that SCI Outdoors will negatively
impact their livelihoods and we urge you to reconsider this divisive
and ill- conceived decision.
Sincerely yours,
Eduardo
de Araoz
President
cc:
Executive Committee – Safari Club International
