http://southernafrican.news/20...-russia-for-hunters/



Zim turns to China, Russia for hunters
January 29, 2016


Tichaona Kurewa


Harare – Zimbabwe’s Minister of Water, Environment and Climate Oppah Muchinguri-Kashiri said the country is now focusing on luring more professional hunters from countries such as China and Russia in the wake of ban on the importation of elephant trophies from Zimbabwe as well as the restrictions imposed on lion hunted trophies by the United States Fish and Wildlife Services (USFWS).

The USFWS imposed new restrictions on African lions harvested after January 22, 2016 particularly lions from Southern and Eastern Africa, a move viewed by many as a “ban” meant to cripple the local hunting industry.

Tanzania and Zimbabwe are the second and third largest exporters of lion trophies to the US, after South Africa, and the United States has already stopped all imports of elephant trophies from those two countries because of what it believes to be organisational problems in the wildlife management programmes of these Southern African Development Community (SADC) member states.

Recently, USWFS, listed two lion sub-species under the Endangered Species Act. The two species are found in India and western and central Africa and Eastern and Southern Africa.

Kashiri said apart from efforts to lure hunters from other countries, SADC was also lobbying the US to reverse its decisions.
“We now have hunters from Russia and China coming to Zimbabwe and efforts are underway to ensure that more will come from these countries and others to hunt in Zimbabwe to ensure that the sector will continue running,” Kashiri said.

“Locally we are also engaging the US Ambassador to ensure that we will be able to continue to export our lions and elephants to the US as we have been doing before. We know South Africa and other countries in the region are interested as well thus efforts are also being made at that level.”

The local hunting industry generated $45 million in 2014.
Kashiri said Zimbabwe was committed to a “sustainable utilisation” of all natural resources, wildlife included.

In most countries across the region, resources generated from hunting goes mainly to conservation, developing communities from where the hunted species are located (where the money has been used in the construction and maintaining of schools, clinics and hospitals).

This is manly done through Community Areas Management Programme for Indigenous Resources (CAMPFIRE).Apart from CAMPFIRE, restrictions imposed on imports of lion trophies from Africa to the United States will also negatively impact on local safari operators who also rely on revenue from sport hunting.

The United States is the leading market for the country’s hunting industry ahead of Canada. If hunting products are banned, it is expected other countries will follow suit.

Lion hunting in the region is the biggest attraction and contributor to the hunting industr

Chinese hunters? Interesting. I knew of some so-called Vietnamese hunters once, but they were holding themselves out as hunters in order to get rhino horn exported and technically acted as the 'hunters' to do the same. Sounds like the same avenue with a 'Chinese' hunter.

Good luck with Chinese, I'm pretty sure there is few.
Russians? Lots of good hunters as their culture is a hunting culture.
Lots of good guys over there

The Mozambique Safari operators have done well marketing the Russian clients. Of course their economy has been hammered by low oil prices as well.

There you Barack, they will conserve them all for you!!! Just like they respect everything else. Once you divest yourself anything, any hope of influence is dashed.This is a perfect example of trying to control something that is much bigger than Barrack and his cronies dreams.

Thanks Barack Obama - you're fucking USA citigens, such that the Russians and Chinese can benefit. What a IDIOT!!

God help us.

Interesting to note that my prospective Lion hunters have decided that USF&W cannot take away their will to hunt and to pursue wild Africa.

Dande Jack you are 100% correct sir ,once they are here generally the corruption starts !!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Oh my... Zim just keeps picking winners!

I travel to SEA quite often, and the Chinese and Russians have taken over many of those tourist spots.

The locals there are having a hard time dealing with these new tourists after years of dealing with Americans and Europeans. They do not make the best tourists from what I understand (aggressive, no respect for local customs, never tip, etc).

The learned minister doesn't seem to be too at home with the term "professional hunter" but in actual fact that is just local Zimbabwean PR. Must've been let's-issue-a-press-release day.