A group of public figures including Jeremy Corbyn, Zac Goldsmith, Sue Perkins and Carol Vorderman have joined forces to call for an urgent halt to imports from trophy hunters.

In a letter to the Guardian, the group, which also includes Piers Morgan, Liam Gallagher, Ed Sheeran and Joanna Lumley, condemns trophy hunting as “cruel, immoral, archaic and unjustifiable”.

The letter was written in response to a Guardian report highlighting how hunters are willing to pay thousands of pounds to kill wildlife. The Guardian has also reported on how big-game hunters have freely brought almost two tonnes of elephant tusks to the UK from Africa over the past decade.

The letter, organised by the Campaign to Ban Trophy Hunting, says: “Unsustainable rates of trophy hunting have caused some populations of Africa’s big cats to decline, while hunting and poaching is outpacing the rate of reproduction of elephants.

“We believe that a global end to trophy hunting is desirable, and that nature tourism is a humane and more effective means of conserving wildlife and supporting local communities. We therefore call on the UK government to commit to halting imports of hunting trophies as a matter of urgency.”

Eduardo Gonçalves, the campaign’s founder, said he was surprised that the issue had drawn support from so many contrasting personalities. “There somebody for everyone on the list,” he said. Other signatories include Eric Idle and Caroline Lucas.