Locals urged to join hunting sector

Business Reporter
June 20, 2008

INDIGENOUS people have been encouraged to participate in hunting activities to benefit from the lucrative returns from the sector that has over the years been dominated by foreigners.
Forestry Commission of Zimbabwe information and communications manager Mr Abednico Marufu told Business Chronicle that there were still few indigenous people who were showing interest in the hunting sector, despite being one of the major revenue generators in the country.
“We are calling upon more indigenous people to join the hunting sector because the industry is mainly dominated by foreigners. More room is there to accommodate the locals who want to venture into this business,†he said.
He said the sector was lucrative and would bring rewards to the local hunters.
“The hunting business is very lucrative although many local people think it requires a lot of capital. What is important is that hunting improves the economy of the country,†said Mr Marufu.
He, however, said there were a number of challenges facing the industry with veld fires being the biggest threat disrupting hunting operations.
The hunting season started in March and will end in November.
“Veld fires have presented a number of difficulties to the hunting business. Sometimes animals escape the fires to as far as Botswana and in that case business becomes low and a lot of revenue is lost,†said Mr Marufu.
However, he said, the hunting season this year has progressed smoothly as no major fires have been recorded.
He said although in some areas isolated cases of veld fire outbreaks have been reported they had not affected the hunting season.
Mr Marufu called on people to ensure that they avoid causing fire othat destroys forests.
He said fire-fighting teams consisting of his company and the community would be formed to ensure that everyone participated in the prevention and control of fire in the forests.
“People will be mobilised to start the exercise before the peak of the fire season,†he said.

I thought they already were - with either a length of wire or a dodgy eviction order as their weapons of choice..........

Not to mention each camp employing dozens of locals!

just who, in zim, is indigenous? The PH, I hunt with, family came up with the Pioneer Column, just a few years after the Matebeles came up from South Africa , and ran out the people living there. The Shonas moved in not all that long before the Matabeles and displaced the people who were already there, on their land, circa 1800's.

Bryan: