CHASA COMMENT ON SERIOUS ANTAGONISTIC THREATS BY THE PUBLIC AND SOME PERSONALITIES ON THE HUNTING EXPLOITS OF MELISSA BACHMAN
It is with great concern that we note the plethora of debased and uncalled for attacks on a lady who had chosen to come to South Africa and partake in a legal, sustainable and responsible activity, spending her money to the benefit of both people and wildlife here. Two particularly gratuitous actions were that of the Sunday Times splashing typically biased and emotional coverage on their front page of 17 November, and of radio personality and public speaker, Jeremy Mansfield's base and vulgar language to Ms Bachman on his very public Facebook page.
We are fortunate that the majority of South Africans have the good sense to realise what the concept of Conservation by Sustainable Utilisation is, and that in a resource rich, but poverty imbalanced nation (and continent) such as ours, every resource must be utilised to its most efficient benefit. No one specie takes precedent over another in a balanced conservation solution, and emotionally (politically correct) driven policies would destroy our hugely successful conservation strategy in short order. Ms Bachman's activities both here and in other countries does just that; bring the conservation benefit to the grass roots where it matters. This is sustainable utilisation in action. Perhaps, just like not thinking of the abattoir deaths of the meat & chicken people consume, so should those who cannot understand or accept hunting, not put their mind to any aspects of conservation as they clearly cannot comprehend the reality of it.
We call on those in the media who are inclined to believe they have the right to run with an emotionally charged attack against people who are simply carrying on a fundamental human activity, in a legal and beneficial way to contact us should they wish to be steered in the direction of a proper and balanced understanding of hunting, conservation by sustainable use and the national strategy relating to it. Perhaps proper balanced journalism will then prevail.
Stephen Palos - Cell number: 082 905 7400 CHAIRMAN