Shifeta Warns Against Proposed Ban on Hunting Trophy Imports and Exports
Shifeta Warns Against Proposed Ban on Hunting Trophy Imports and Exports
Clifton Movirongo, Namibia Economist
August 12, 2022
See link
https://economist.com.na/72643/tourism/shifeta-warns-against-proposed-ban-on-hunting-trophy-imports-and-exports/
for photo.
The Environment, Forestry, and Tourism Minister Pohamba Shifeta urged the
international community against restrictions and prohibitions on the
importation of certain hunting trophies, as he warned such an action might
have unintended negative consequences for Namibian people and wildlife.
He said if an option to ban the import and export of any trophies is taken,
it will erode all the progress made in Namibia since Independence,
particularly if more European countries follow suit.
“We recognise that introducing any option related to imports and exports of
hunting trophies is fully within the sovereign right of these countries. We
further understand that they intend to protect animal species that are
hunted in Namibia and other African countries, an intention that is shared
by the Namibian Government,” Shifeta remarked.
This comes as the minister said he had noted some initiatives in process to
ban the import of trophies into the United Kingdom, Belgium, and
Finland.“Before these developments, France and the Netherlands also
implemented restrictions and prohibitions on the importation of certain
hunting trophies,” he said.
However, the tourism minister maintained that the Namibian conservation
model, which has received international acclaim, is based on the premise
that people living with wildlife are its rightful custodians.
Furthermore, European hunters account for over half of the total hunting
revenue in Namibia.
He also added that without a suitable alternative that fully replaces the
income, employment, and protein provided by conservation hunting in
Namibia, “both our people and wildlife will suffer”. “Namibia can
demonstrate that trophy hunting positively contributes to wildlife
conservation and the rural economy, which should provide sufficient grounds
for approving trophy imports from our country. We, therefore, encourage all
countries that imports trophies from Namibia to adopt a targeted and
measured approach,” the minister said.
“Our legislation and policies thus provide for rural communities and
private landowners to manage their wildlife populations sustainably and
derive financial and other benefits from these natural resources. This
system is supported by the Ministry, which is committed to conserving
wildlife and natural habitat for current and future generations,” he added.
Today, over 90% of our wildlife population occurs on private and communal
lands and we have more wildlife now than at any time in the last 100 years,
having reversed losses suffered during the colonial and apartheid eras, he
revealed.
According to him, as of 2018, an estimated 230,000 communal area residents,
which is 9% of Namibia’s total population, were members of communal
conservancies, which have created jobs for nearly 5,000 people. He said
these conservancies are responsible for managing wildlife on 169,756 square
kilometres of land, which is 21% of Namibia and over two-thirds the size of
the UK.
He, therefore, urged and appealed to the said countries not to opt for the
route of any bans but rather continue to apply current controls based on
internationally agreed rules. “While we understand that trophy hunting
might not always contribute to rural development and conservation in all
countries as it does in Namibia, any ban on trophy import and export,
whether selective or not would effectively undermine the Namibian people
and our successful conservation model,” he pointed out.
According to the minister, in 2019, a total of 5001 trophy hunters visited
Namibia for hunting. German tourists or hunters were the highest with a
total of 1792 (36%), followed by USA with 934 (19%), Austria 378 (7%),
Hungary 210 (4%), France 196 (4%), Sweden 189 (4%), Spain 155 (3%), Denmark
103 (2%), Russia (2%), Australia 70 (1%). Other countries were to a
combined number of 888 (18%) hunters.
Meanwhile, he said MEFT has the mandate to manage and protect wildlife in
State-owned National Parks and Nature Reserves. “The Ministry is at the
forefront of the government’s anti-poaching efforts and plays a vital role
in supporting communal conservancies and managing the rhino custodianship
programme,” he added.
“These efforts are partly funded through the Game Product Trust Fund
(GPTF), a statutory body created by an Act of Parliament, which receives
revenue from hunting and live wildlife sales. Data from 2020 – 2021 reveal
that GPTF spent about Euro 1,2 million on conservation programmes, 73% of
which was dedicated to anti-poaching and other wildlife management
activities such as rhino conservation and Protected Area Management,”
Shifeta said, adding that conservation hunting is, therefore, an important
part of our integrated sustainable development and conservation strategy.