Rhinos Up for Trophy Hunting - by Irene !Hoaës

15 December 2008

WINDHOEK – For the first time ever, Namibia will offer previously endangered black rhinoceros for trophy hunting.

This follows the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES)’s approval of a black rhinoceros annual quota of five animals per annum.

Rhinos to be auctioned for trophy hunting will be old post-productive males, individually identified by the Ministry of Environment and Tourism on an annual basis.

Other animals on auction for trophy hunting will include buffaloes, elephants, white rhinos, lions, leopards, giraffes, elands, hippopotami, crocodiles, roans and sable antelopes, kudus, oryx, lechwe, blue wildebeests, Burchell’s and Hartmans zebras, impalas, reedbucks and springboks.

The ministry will auction nine trophy hunting concessions on State land for the period 2009-2013 on Friday.
Concessions where communities benefit directly will be advertised during the coming two weeks.
In a statement, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Environment and Tourism, Dr Kalumbi Shangula, said his ministry views trophy hunting as an effective way of harvesting wildlife populations in a sustainable manner as well as removing animals that are too old to reproduce, while deriving maximum revenue from the wildlife resource.

He said trophy hunting could play a beneficial role in rural communities, as a means of creating employment, facilitating the empowerment of formerly disadvantaged Namibians as well as providing a food source for traditional authorities and rural communities.

As per procedure, revenue generated will go towards the Game Trust Fund and will be reinvested in management and conservation of Namibia’s protected areas and funding of wildlife-related projects.
Concession areas that will be auctioned are located in the Mahango, eastern Kavango Region, western Kavango and Mangetti Game Camp, Waterberg Plateau Park, Daan Viljoen and Von Bach game parks, the Namib-Naukluft Park and three black rhinoceros concessions.

However, the ministry will specify the locality and individual concessions for the rhinos later.
Special incentives will be offered to promote black economic empowerment in the trophy hunting industry.
Registration for bidders will be restricted to Namibian registered companies with a Namibian registered professional hunter in their permanent employment.

The Hunting Report has a contact in the Ministry of Environment and Tourism of Namibia who's promised to get the names of the winning bidders to Barbara Crown as soon as possible on Friday, Dec. 19.

Feel free to contact Barbara by phone at 800-252-5656

or by e-mail at barbara@huntingreport.com

For the original bulletin, click the link below

http://www.huntingreport.com/w...te.cfm?articleid=411

This is great news for hunting as there is some fantastic big game, real Africa hunting to be had in these areas.

I can't wait to see what the final bids for this will be?!?

So if a read this right, the two Bwabwata concessions are NOT going to be awarded again?

I think they were last hunted by Cillers & Wambach in 2006, after having been awarded somewhat late in the season(?).

I did a quick google and found this WWF document supporting hunting there:

http://www.irdnc.org.na/downlo...20to%20June%2008.doc

Which states:

quote:

Objective 4: Professionally managed, profitable natural resource-based enterprises established, and optimal benefits generated within target conservancies.

IRDNC with the assistance from the WWF LIFE Plus business and tourism specialists, are working with 9 conservancies (Impalila, Kasika, Salambala, Kwandu, Mayuni, Mashi, Sobbe, Balyerwa and Wuparo) and one Association (Kyaramacan) to help generate increased benefits for conservation and livelihoods. During the last year support has been given to 7 joint venture agreements, 7 hunting concessions contracts in 8 conservancies/associations, 4 conservancy run campsites and 2 community run craft markets. The major achievements during the year are:

1. Hunting Concessions: In 2007, two more hunting concession was awarded by MET and sold to hunting outfitters; Sobbe and Balyerwa. The combined fee from the now 7 hunting concession earned in Caprivi has reached just over N$ 5 million. Eight conservancies retained N$ 2.7 mio (100% of the fee) and Kyaramacan Association retained N$ 1.18 mio with the remaining 50% paid to the Game Product Trust Fund because of the concession being in a National Park. In 2008 the ninth conservancy in Caprivi (Impalila) was awarded a hunting concession and have signed a contract with the outfitter hunting Kasika and Salambala. Four existing contracts were re-negotiated. The two concessions in Bwabwata National Park were awarded to the Kyaramacan for five years are still awaiting final approval from MET’s newly formed Concession Unit before being given out to tender.

Anybody know the status, and why these have not been awarded yet and for the 5-year contract period? Who/what is the "Kyaramacan Association"?

are contract for deed or 1st morgage acceptable?

quote:

So if a read this right, the two Bwabwata concessions are NOT going to be awarded again?

Bill C, they have been awarded to the community, which currently has a tender out on them, which also closes on Friday. Hopefully we will know within a week from Friday who has the hunting rights for the next 5 years. You can bet all that you own that if its me, I will put a post up....

Also, if anyone is interested in hunting these rhino's, contact me via email or PM, I might be able to help.

Karl,

How does the auction work? Is it a closed auction where those bidding do not know the amount bid by competing outfits?

frostbit, it will be an open auction for us that qualify. (Namibian company, big game PH licence etc.) Therefor, if someone is interested, they can supply someone like me (that qualify as a bidder, there are others on this site as well),with an amount they are willing to spend to buy the rhino for them, and do the hunt for them.