http://allafrica.com/stories/201412180488.html



Namibia: Hunting the Lifeblood of Conservancies



OPINION

STANDING calmly, a mother rhino shields her young calf from the harsh Kunene sun. She remains for quite a while under a mopane tree at the Etendeke concession, some 700 kilometres from Windhoek.

The rhino cow leans against the trunk, allowing the calf to nuzzle its tiny body against her rough skin while she feeds.

She constantly looks around, seemingly attempting to spot possible danger in the vicinity. Finally, she takes up a fixed position, lying down for a quick snooze, until suddenly "an army" of excited humans begin shooting at them relentlessly - with their cameras.

However, conservancies within the Kunene region through the Namibian Community-Based Natural Resource Management (CBNRM) programme also hunt these endangered species to generate income for conservancies.

World Wildlife Fund natural resource advisor to Namibia, Greg Stuart-Hill, said although the act of trophy hunting and the exportation of trophies is banned around the world, it's still a good idea for Namibia.

"The idea," he says, earned them 500 000 tonnes of meat worth N$6 million, which were distributed to the villagers. Another N$4 million from wildlife killed by conservancy owners produced meat to feed villagers from those conservancies.

A conservancy is a commission or a group of people controlling the preservation of natural resources, wildlife and rare environmental species.

They were introduced by the Ministry of Environment and Tourism to encourage communities to manage wildlife and profit from them by opening up their conservancies to wealthy game hunters and tourists.

As such, conservancies that depend on trophy hunting as a means of income, could suffer terribly if the practice ever came to a stop.

One successful conservancy in the country, the ≠Khoadi //Hôas Conservancy located in the Kunene region, strongly depends on the practice for its running costs and benefit distribution.

Chairman of the conservancy Asser Ndjitiezena said pressure to ban trophy hunting will hurt the conservancy.

"Many communities will lose out as they get benefits and income through this. Close to 100 people are employed directly and indirectly. So if this stops, employment won't exist and conservancies will become inactive. It also creates employment which generates revenues from land or resources that are otherwise unproductive, " he explained.

Trophy hunting concessions represent valuable economic assets and hunting experience with considerable international marketing potential. Furthermore, no harm is done to the rhino population as the main focus is placed on older male rhinos past their breeding prime says Stuart-Hill.

Ndjitiezena explains that trophy hunting is a healthy exercise - if managed wisely - as it reduces the need for illegal hunting and thus saves many others from being slaughtered. If performed through catch and sell, shooting and selling meat, trophy hunting and shooting for own use, communities gain more in terms of social benefits like soup kitchens, school bursaries and school development purposes.

Nonetheless, if the need to ban trophy hunting continues to haunt Namibia, employment will soar in those communities says director of NACSO Maxi Louis. According to her, "entire families will then live in poverty".

Namibia gets it. The rest of Africa, not so much.

The rest of Africa gets it! The problem is the Namibia model spreads the income and the rest of the African dictators want the money......more.....centralized?


.

Nice story from Africa's premier news website. Thanks, Kathi.

Operative phrase re trophy hunting: "If managed wisely..."

Best of the Season, Tim