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Botswana: Residents Applaud Re-Introduction of Controlled Hunting

By Kedirebofe Pelontle


Mababe — Minister for Environment, Tourism and Natural Resources Conservation Mr Kitso Makaila says controlled hunting is to be re-introduced in 2020.

Addressing residents of Khwai and Mababe recently, Mr Mokaila said the Department of Wildlife and National Parks had completed the guidelines for the controlled hunting.

The guidelines, he said would be given to all stakeholders to appreciate hence the controlled hunting would effect in 2020.

Mr Mokaila also said the government would keep on engaging the international bodies on the lifting hunting ban.

Residents of Mababe thanked the government for lifting the hunting ban.

One resident Mr Nkatogang Sebinelo observed that the Mababe Zokotsama Development Trust had made losses since the introduction of hunting ban in 2014.

Mr Sebinelo therefore said the recent move to lift hunting ban by government was a positive development for Mababe residents.

He further requested that the communities be familiarised with the hunting model and value of the products.



Another Mababe resident Ms Kutlwano Russel said the residents were grateful for the new developments in the Ministry of Environment, Tourism and Natural Resources Conservation such as re-introduction of controlled hunting and reviewing the Land Bank Policy.

Mr Kgotlaetsile Pekenene also thanked the minister for bringing positive changes.

However, he said there were no campsites for individuals in Mababe which reversed the government's efforts of inclusion of locals in the tourism industry.

Mr Opelo Tumelo decried that some youth were long given certificates by the land board for tourism operations which were subsequently frozen since Mababe was said to be state land. In his response, Tawana

Land Board Chairperson Mr Emmanuel Dube said he would take the matter of those who were given certificates but had projects frozen with the Ministry of Land Management, Water and Sanitation services headquarters.

Source : BOPA

When are the area(s) going to be auctioned/allocated?

I have seen the number 400 tags. Anyone know if that is trophy bulls or they have non-trophy/own use elephants in those 400 tags?

I wouldn't even do any wishful thinking about Botswana until we find out exactly how this is all going to shake out. It is a very nebulous affair right now according to people who are in the know on the ground in Botswana.

Mark

We were in Botswana's Chobe National Park last week and saw more elephants than we could count.

One of the other people with us on the boat and truck tours mentioned a movement on the part of some in England (he was a Brit) to ban trophy hunting, including elephant hunting.

I told the group that there were far too many elephants in Botswana, and in Chobe in particular, and that the government was going to re-introduce hunting.

Our guide spoke up and agreed vehemently. "Too many elephants. Far too many!" I took that as a pretty strong sign of popular support for the re-introduction of hunting!