https://www.namibian.com.na/11...hy-hunt-white-rhinos



Namibia pushes to trophy-hunt white rhinos
News - National | 2022-08-16Page no: 1

by Absalom Shigwedha


NAMIBIA is pushing for permission to trade its white rhinos, which would include live sales and making them available for trophy-hunting.

The country has made a proposal to the upcoming gathering of the United Nations (UN) body which regulates the international trade in endangered species of plant and animals to transfer its population of white rhinos from Appendix I to Appendix II of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of wild Fauna and Flora (Cites).

In its proposal, Namibia argues that hunting for trophies is recognised as a valuable management tool which provides much-needed revenue for rhino conservation, while trade in live animals is similarly important for the same reason.

“Transferring the population to Appendix II would enable Namibia to export live animals and hunting trophies to more countries, and would increase revenue through sustainable use.”

Appendix II lists species that are not necessarily threatened with extinction, while Appendix I is a list of plant and animal species which are most endangered and threatened by extinction.

Cites prohibits international trade in specimens on this list, except when it is not for commercial purposes, such as scientific research.

Botswana will make a similar proposal at Cites' 19th Conference of the Parties in Panama from 14 to 25 November.

Ministry of Environment, Forestry and Tourism spokesperson Romeo Muyunda yesterday said the move would enhance the conservation of white rhinos which are currently predominantly managed under private ownership.

“It would also enhance their security, as private owners would get proceeds from trophy hunting and from the sale of the animals – thus strengthening their anti-poaching activities,” he said.

Muyunda said security at privately owned farms is currently lacking.

According to the proposal, Namibia holds the second-largest white rhino population in the world after South Africa.

Its population in 2021 stood at 1 237, based on aerial survey records and annual information submitted by private owners to the environment ministry.

“The growth rate in the population from 2002 to 2021 was 6,7%, including imports from South Africa,” the proposal reads.

The majority of white rhinos in Namibia are privately owned, with large numbers imported from South Africa since 2012, it says.

Currently, 952 animals are privately owned in around 85 populations, while the state-owned population in 2021 comprised 285 animals in three protected areas.

'POPULATION DOING WELL'

The chief executive officer of the Save the Rhino Trust, Samson !Uri-Khob, says he mainly deals with black rhinos, of which the population has decreased significantly in Namibia.

The white rhino population is doing well and may be put up for trophy hunting and live animal sales, he says.

Environment, forestry and tourism minister Pohamba Shifeta last week said the banning of hunting trophy imports by the United Kingdom, Belgium and Finland may have negative consequences for Namibia and its wildlife.

He said this action is, however, fully within the sovereign rights of these countries.

“We are nonetheless concerned that it may have unintended negative consequences forthe people of Namibia and wildlife,” he said.

Namibia's policy of devolving conditional wildlife ownership has produced excellent results for wildlife conservation and rural sustainable development, he said.

At the 67th Congress of the International Council for Game and Wildlife Conservation held in Budapest, Hungary, last September, the speaker of the National Assembly, Peter Katjavivi, said the sustainable use of wildlife and natural resources is enshrined in the Namibian Constitution.

Hunting, he said, provides incentives to rural communities in Namibia.

In its proposal, Namibia says the plea to place its white rhinoceros population on appendix II of Cites is in line with the recommendations of the African Rhinoceros Specialist Group and the Rhinoceros Management Group.

The association of private rhino owners in Namibia has been consulted and is in support of the proposal, it says.

Namibia, in the proposal, says the rationale behind it is that the white rhino population is secure and does not meet the criteria for inclusion in Appendix I, and the proposed transfer to Appendix II would not threaten the survival of the species in Namibia.

This would help Namibian owners and managers to effectively manage populations, which is particularly important in small protected areas and privately owned populations, and revenue generated from rhino sales would go directly back into rhino conservation and anti-poaching programmes, as well as equipment, law enforcement, education, community initiatives, infrastructure and habitat management.

ECOLOGICAL ROLE

Both black and white rhinos are some of the keystone wild animals which pull many tourists to Namibia.

Ecologically, the white rhino can transform high biomass, low productivity and low nutrient content vegetation communities into regenerating communities with much greater production of better-quality plant types.

Namibia acceded to Cites on 18 December 1990.

Cites came into force in 1975, and currently has 184 parties.

Great!

I hope they sell them all in record time!