“Trophy” animals represent the direction evolution wants to go. (Remove the biggest fish in the species, the remainder of the gene pool stay small).
Trophy animals aren’t what they used to be. The days of going out and killing the biggest bull elephant you can find were over long ago.
A lot of times those animals will be problem animals. Elephants that for whatever reason would rather tear down fences and feast on human crops, lions that cannot be dissuaded from killing domesticated livestock or even humans.....there are a limited number of those permits awarded each year. The limited number of permits is the reason for the high cost.
Say a man spends $50,000 for a big game permit. He brings his own guns and ammo but has to outfit his guides and handlers who pack and carry his stuff around at the local stores. That is good money for the local economy.
When Mr Big Game Hunter makes his kill, say a bull elephant, the meat doesn’t go to waste. The nearest village turns out en masse to collect the harvest. NOTHING is left behind. Even the bones are used by the villages.
Not true. By the time the big fish has been removed, it has reproduced.