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NamibianSun, 11.11.2015
Ellanie Smith
Banning trophy hunting would not only affect communal conservancies in Namibia, but would have severe implications for commercial farmers, who stand to lose millions every year.
This is according to the Minister of Environment and Tourism, Pohamba Shifeta, who delivered a statement about trophy hunting and the sustainable use of wildlife in Parliament.
Shifeta said if trophy hunting is banned farmers would lose at least N$350 million per year in foreign currency earnings, while 50% of the jobs on mixed livestock and hunting farms would be lost and 100% of jobs on exclusive hunting farms. That translates to over 1 300 jobs on private farms only.
He explained that about 80% of the larger game species are found on private farmland.
“Trophy hunting on privately owned farmland has resulted in an increase in the value of game. With the increase in value which land owners realise from game, the conservation of game resulted in an increase in game numbers. A combination of cattle and trophy-hunting operations employ double the number of permanent employees than cattle farms,” said Shifeta.
According to him a ban on trophy hunting would reduce the value of game species to their meat value and private landowners would have to reduce their game numbers in order to increase cattle numbers in an attempt to substitute the loss of income.
Shifeta further said that trophy hunting plays an important role in the management and operation of communal conservancies by generating tangible returns.
He said if income from trophy hunting is taken away, the operations of most of the conservancies cannot be sustained.
Last year trophy hunting contributed 39.9% of the total direct income of communal conservancies.
The Community-Based Natural Resources management project (CBNRM) last year generated about N$530 million in national income, of which N$87 million was generated directly for the benefit of rural communities.
Annually, 6 500 to 7 000 jobs are created through this programme. Trophy hunting also contributes to the availability of protein supply in that the meat of the hunted animals is distributed to rural communities.
“Obviously, if we remove trophy hunting from our conservation equation, the CBNRM programme will collapse and Namibia will fail dismally in conservation,” Shifeta said.
Ellanie Smith
Banning trophy hunting would not only affect communal conservancies in Namibia, but would have severe implications for commercial farmers, who stand to lose millions every year.
This is according to the Minister of Environment and Tourism, Pohamba Shifeta, who delivered a statement about trophy hunting and the sustainable use of wildlife in Parliament.
Shifeta said if trophy hunting is banned farmers would lose at least N$350 million per year in foreign currency earnings, while 50% of the jobs on mixed livestock and hunting farms would be lost and 100% of jobs on exclusive hunting farms. That translates to over 1 300 jobs on private farms only.
He explained that about 80% of the larger game species are found on private farmland.
“Trophy hunting on privately owned farmland has resulted in an increase in the value of game. With the increase in value which land owners realise from game, the conservation of game resulted in an increase in game numbers. A combination of cattle and trophy-hunting operations employ double the number of permanent employees than cattle farms,” said Shifeta.
According to him a ban on trophy hunting would reduce the value of game species to their meat value and private landowners would have to reduce their game numbers in order to increase cattle numbers in an attempt to substitute the loss of income.
Shifeta further said that trophy hunting plays an important role in the management and operation of communal conservancies by generating tangible returns.
He said if income from trophy hunting is taken away, the operations of most of the conservancies cannot be sustained.
Last year trophy hunting contributed 39.9% of the total direct income of communal conservancies.
The Community-Based Natural Resources management project (CBNRM) last year generated about N$530 million in national income, of which N$87 million was generated directly for the benefit of rural communities.
Annually, 6 500 to 7 000 jobs are created through this programme. Trophy hunting also contributes to the availability of protein supply in that the meat of the hunted animals is distributed to rural communities.
“Obviously, if we remove trophy hunting from our conservation equation, the CBNRM programme will collapse and Namibia will fail dismally in conservation,” Shifeta said.