Namibia: Legal Vacuum Escalates Illegal Hunting

The increase in illegal and unethical hunting has become a serious threat to Namibia's trophy hunting sector, says Marina Lamprecht, of the Namibian Professional Hunters Association (NAPHA).

"The situation is made worse by the lack of law enforcement to effectively punish those who hunt unethically and/or illegally. Namibian trophy hunters are frustrated that we have now waited over 12 years for the Wildlife Bill - as such, we are operating in a legal vacuum which lacks definitions and preventative measures to discourage canned leopard hunting," she said.

Lamprecht urged the Ministry of Environment and Tourism to put effective measures in place to ensure that trophy hunting is carried out according to the law.

"Let us join forces against foreigners, mostly South Africans, operating illegally in our country by posing as Namibian professional hunters or trophy hunting operators, as well as our own country men who break our hunting laws, by adopting an attitude of zero tolerance towards those who hunt unethically. They threaten the future of our industry and more importantly, make a mockery of our well regulated trophy hunting legislation which, if applied effectively, has the potential to be our greatest conservation success," she stressed.

According to Lamprecht, foreigners who offer illegal hunts have no long term interest in the international status of Namibia as a trophy hunting destination.

"These people hunt here, bribe locals to sign their permits, and yet they are not registered in Namibia, do not have work permits and do not pay taxes. Those of us [who are] closely involved in the industry have some of the names and details [of the culprits]- one culprit admits to have been doing it for the past 18 years and like so many others, continues to treat the system with contempt and make a mockery of the Namibian trophy hunting industry and all we stand for."

Other threats to the country's trophy hunting sector include the global economic conditions as well as the gradual decrease in the number of sport hunters in much of Europe and the US.

"While Namibia has developed its own programmes, policies and legislation to try to sustain high-quality trophy hunting, we rely on organisations within the nations from which we draw our clients to create their own programmes to sustain hunters as an ecological force," Lamprecht said.

In 2007, the trophy hunting industry contributed 2.3% to GDP through generating revenues of N$316 million. This figure does not include secondary goods and services such as airfares, accommodation and meals and game park fees.

However, revenue generated from trophy hunting has decreased significantly since then; decreasing by 7.7% in 2008 and by 40% in 2009, according to statistics provided by the Ministry of Environment and Tourism.

Despite the existing challenges, Namibia has become one of the most popular trophy hunting destinations in southern Africa.

"This is due in part to its political stability and diversity, a well-developed infrastructure, the ease with which hunting rifles may be temporarily imported into the country, and the friendliness and warm hospitality of the people. The key component, however, is Namibia's land-use and game-management policies, which have created great and healthy populations of game. It is also important to note that Namibian hunting professionals are recognised as among the best-trained in the world," Lamprecht said.

He concluded by urging the environment ministry to take strong action against foreign operators who offer illegal hunts and to take the licenses of Namibian hunters who break the law.

Namibia: Local Hunters Urge for Tighter Controls

The Namibian trophy hunting sector has urged government to adopt a zero tolerance stance towards illegal and unethical hunting in the country.

At a workshop for emerging commercial farmers, Marina Lamprecht, and an executive member of the Namibian Professional Hunting Association (Napha) noted that the most serious threat to the local trophy hunting industry is "the increase in illegal and unethical trophy hunting, which threatens to damage the reputation and popularity of Namibia as an international hunting destination".

Lamprecht said the situation is critical and a lack of law enforcement is a key element driving illegal activities.

"With the current system of often merely issuing an acknowledgment of guilt fine to those caught hunting illegally, this practice will continue uncontrolled".

Lamprecht furthermore said that the culprits are "mostly South Africans operating illegally in our country, by posing as Namibian professional hunters or trophy hunting operators".

However, she acknowledged that "our own countrymen" are often bribed to sign permits which allow unregistered hunters to operate locally.

According to local hunters, the absence of legislation leads to a "legal vacuum which lacks definitions and preventative measures to discourage canned leopard hunting, to mention just one point".

She said that illegal operators continue "to treat the system with contempt and makes a mockery of the Namibian trophy hunting industry and all that we stand for".

NAPHA, which was established in the seventies, expects members to adhere to strict codes of ethics and guidelines that address hunting and the environment as well as business and social issues. However, despite the organisation's active work and oversight of the industry, it's goals are hampered by a lack of regulations and strict law enforcement.

She urged Minister Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah to "take strong actions against foreign operators who offer hunts here illegally and take away the licenses of Namibian hunting professionals who break the law. Unless urgent action is taken, this will be the downfall of the industry". Lamprecht noted that the 'wildlife bill', which has been languishing for 12 years, if enacted, could hand legal and policing tools to Government so they can effectively fight fraudsters in the industry.

In 2007, the trophy hunting industry in Namibia generated revenues of N$316 million. That number represented a 12 per cent growth in the hunting industry between 1996 and 2006, she said.

However, in 2008, revenue dropped by 7,7 per cent and by a "staggering 40 per cent in 2009". Lamprecht says the downward trend is continuing.

Namibia remains one of the most popular hunting destinations in the world, Lamprecht said. The increased value of wildlife to humans in Namibia has led to 80 per cent of Namibia's wildlife existing outside of protected areas.

She added that the hunting industry employs "more people and pays better salaries, as well as provides more training, skill recognition and job promotion opportunities than any other form of commercial agricultural and communal conservancy land utilisation in Namibia". She added that Namibia is " a pro-wildlife and wildlife utilisation country, and our progressive national constitution is the first in the world to formally enshrine the sustainable utilisation of living natural resources". By protecting Namibia's reputation as a hunting destination, trophy hunting "has the potential to develop into one of our country's most valuable renewable assets".