Botswana Question

I've noticed an awful lot of animal planetish styled nature shows (i.e Jack Hanna) are starting to center around Botswana and the Okavango in particular. Is Bots losing ground to the "preservationist" crowd? Please tell me its not so....

Not losing, just a lot of interest and focus. There are lots of conservationist, researchers running around there and have been for years.
Anyone with other news? Maybe its just your channel choices on TV.

Botswana to ban wildlife hunting

Thanks BRICKBURN. I was comforted by your post...until i ran into this doing a research paper.

Feels like a punch in the gut.


Botswana to ban wildlife hunting
Wendy Worral Redal, Natural Habitat Adventures - August 2011

Botswana is once more taking a leading role among African nations in advancing wildlife conservation as it prepares to end game hunting in favor of safaris devoted purely to photography.

Archibald Ngakayagae, a spokesperson with Botswana's Ministry of Wildlife, Environment and Tourism, announced last week that the legal process toward policy change is already underway in response to recent research findings that show some wildlife species have declined by as much as 90 percent over the last decade due to hunting, poaching and veldt fires.

Lion hunting in Botswana was already suspended in 2007, reflecting governmental concern over diminishing numbers of lions, particularly in protected areas near settled areas where human-predator conflict is on the rise, such as Khutse Game Reserve, Central Kgalagadi Game Reserve (CKGR) and the Kgalagadi Trans-Frontier Park.

But other species and regions have been drastically impacted as well, warranting rapid government action.

Botswanan ecologist Dr. Mike Chase, founder and director of the wildlife conservation group Elephants Without Borders and a post-doctoral fellow at the San Diego Zoo壮 Institute for Conservation Research, revealed distressing research results several weeks ago that indicate "catastrophic" species loss in the Okavango Delta over the past 15 years. The study found that 11 species have declined by 61 percent since a 1996 survey in the Ngamiland district. Ostrich numbers declined by 95 percent, while 90 percent of wildebeest were also wiped out, along with 84 percent of antelope tsessebe, 81 percent of warthogs and kudus, and nearly two-thirds of giraffes.

"The numbers of wildebeest have fallen below the minimum of 500 breeding pairs to be sustainable. They are on the verge of local extinction," Chase said.
According to a story in Botswanan news source Mmegionline, "The campaign to move towards photographic safari is promoted by operators who run photographic safaris in the Okavango Delta and Kasane regions, but the campaign has divided the wildlife conservationists in Botswana, some of whom argue that hunting quotas issued to the communities that live near wildlife management areas, help empower and develop local communities."

Sport hunters are typically required to give part of their trophy fee to local communities to fund development as well as reduce the need to poach wildlife for food or to sell ivory or skins for money.

Botswana's government, however, is convinced that hunting is more a part of the problem than a conservation solution, and is proceeding with steps toward a full ban on its public lands. Plains game hunting would be permissible only on private ranches, once the new policy is in effect. Kenya has also banned wildlife hunting



Source: Botswana to ban wildlife hunting | WWF Travel Blog

A quote from the PHASA site
MMEGI ARTICLE RESPONSE:
as the Botswana Ministry of Environment, Wildlife and Tourism
Ministry of Environment, Wildlife and Tourism is slow and not responding.

MMEGI ARTICLE RESPONSE: "WLDLIFE HUNTING TO CEASE IN BOTSWANA"
20th July 2011

We refer to the above article carried on Mmegi issue of Friday 15th July, 2011.

It was said that; the Botswana government is in advanced legal process to ban the hunting of wildlife in favour of photographic safari.

The Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Environment, Wildlife and Tourism would like to clarify that there is no decision made to ban wildlife hunting. Instead, what is being done is to encourage photographic tourism and gradually limit but not ban wildlife hunting. It must be known that species with declining numbers will be considered for limited hunting while those with increasing numbers like elephants, will continue to be hunted within CITES framework.

On the 13th and 14th July 2011, the Ministry and other stakeholders organized two days training workshop for local Media Practitioners on Poverty and Environmental Reporting. It was at this workshop that the Ministry spokesperson highlighted the benefits of photographic tourism to Community Trusts in the country as compared to just issuing hunting quotes during a discussion on Community Based Resource National Management (CBNRM). But there was no reference to hunting ban. Unfortunately, he was quoted out of context.

In conclusion, the Ministry states that the Botswana Government has no plan to ban hunting in this country and we would like to assure all hunting safari companies and affected communities that live near wildlife management areas who continues to benefit from hunting. The Mmegi story does not reflect current government thinking on the subject of wildlife hunting.

Yours Faithfully

Mable Bolele
Coordinator, Communications, Research and Development

MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT, WILDLIFE AND TOURISM

TELEPHONE: 3191312
TELEGRAMS: MEWT
PRIVATE BAG BO 199
FAX: 3951092
GABORONE
REFERENCE EWT 1/6/4 III ()

ALL CORRESPONDENCE MUST BE ADDRESSED TO THE PERMANENT SECRETARY

"Comforted once more". Thanks, buddy. Now i'll be able to sleep tonight.

The question will hunting tracks as they come due be renewed...

The answer so far is no the renewal are not taking place.

So when a hunting track is not renewed the safari camp need to pack up and leave.

some are up this year and some are up in 2012...

With wild life safari being a small part of the financial part of Botswana.

The current Botswana president is anti hunting. wanting to move to photo safari's.

Botswana is the best paid averaging about $14,000 a year with a small population of around 2 million persons living mostly in the large cities. The diamond mines are the driving force in the country.

It should be noted that the only viable hunting is for elephant, and that is due to the outfitters who have placed wells for water throughout there concessions to hold the herds in place. it has benefited other spices however there numbers are dropping.