https://allafrica.com/stories/202403070069.html



Botswana Rallies SADC Countries Against European Ban On Trophy Hunting

7 MARCH 2024
The Herald (Harare)
By Sifelani Tsiko



Gaborone — Botswana is galvanising the support of southern African countries to lobby against moves by Europe to ban the import of wildlife trophies from Africa.

The southern African country, its local communities and the Botswana Wildlife Producers Association said it was important to amplify voices against Europe's efforts to ban trophy hunting.

Trophy hunting involves the killing of large animals such as elephants, buffaloes, elands, lions, tigers and others for sport.

Hunters often pay large sums of money for this and keep the heads or other parts of the animals for display.

Zimbabwe, Botswana, South Africa, Namibia and Zambia are concerned that the ban on trophy hunting will hurt the livelihoods of local communities and tourism earnings that help the countries conserve their wildlife resources.

At present Bostwana issues about 300 elephant hunting licenses per year generating some US$3 million for the country while Zimbabwe issues about 500 licences earning the country about US$100 million a year at its peak.


In South Africa trophy hunting supports an estimated 15 000 jobs whereas non-consumptive tourism supports at least 90 000 jobs.

For Zimbabwe, Botswana, South Africa and other SADC countries, trophy hunting increases food and livelihood security for rural people and plays a role in mitigating human-wildlife conflict.

In 2022, the European Parliament announced plans to introduce a ban on the import of wildlife trophies and animal rights activists are concerned that continued hunting will further deplete wildlife populations, which are declining in many areas from loss.

Currently, no European Union ban on wildlife trophy imports has materialised so far and moves by the UK House of Lords to approve a ban have failed to pass, while Germany and France are considering similar prohibitions.


Only Belgium has succeeded in introducing a ban, amid calls for the rest of Europe to follow suit.

The Botswana Wildlife Producers Association fears the domino effect of the trophy hunting ban.

"The Botswana Wildlife Producers Association is afraid of the domino effect of the UK ban," said Isaac Theophilus, CEO of BWPA.

"The ban could spread to other European countries and have a huge impact on SADC countries.

"We want to utilise our resources for the well-being of our rural people who often bear the brunt of wildlife encroachment.

"We should not be punished for good wildlife management. They should allow us to utilise our resources sustainably."

Southern African countries strongly oppose moves by Europe to ban trophy hunting.


The countries argue that the ban has a negative impact on local community livelihoods and conservation efforts. The countries further argue that a blanket ban overlooks their role in sustainable wildlife management and urges for a more inclusive approach that considers their perspectives and needs.

"We should not be punished for taking care of our wildlife resources," said Theophillus.

"Let the world allow us to utilise our resources as they do for their own."

He said Europe needs to understand the damage brought about by wildlife within areas adjacent to national parks in terms of crop damage, competition for water holes and loss of lives.

Apart from the trophy bans, a massive drive to shut down ivory trade worldwide has left Southern African elephant rangeland countries with virtually no markets to sell their ivory.

The ivory ban has left most SADC countries stuck with hundreds of tonnes of unsold ivory.

Had controlled trade been permitted, the countries could have generated revenue that could support animal welfare and protection as well as local communities.

Southern African nations including Botswana, Namibia, Zimbabwe, South Africa and Zambia have for years been battling the global wildlife trade regulator to grant them rights to sell ivory acquired through natural deaths, confiscations and culling.

The countries are home to the world's largest elephant population.



The big herds, faced with shrinking forest cover and human encroachment of their corridors, venture into human settlements looking for food and attack those who try to stop them.

This has led to the unending human-wildlife conflict among local communities living in areas adjacent to game sanctuaries.

Zimbabwe and most other SADC countries have not benefited substantially from the wildlife resources due to the Cites' ban on the ivory trade.

Zimbabwe and most other SADC countries are sitting on tonnes of ivory which they cannot dispose of owing to a Cites ban.

The country is sitting on ivory and rhino horn stockpiles worth US$600 million.

Southern Africa is home to half of Africa's elephants and Zimbabwe's population of more than 84 000 against a carrying capacity of 40 000, is only second to that of Botswana in the world.

SADC countries often stand nearly alone in opposing the destruction of illegal ivory stockpiles and a total ban on the ivory trade among a slew of measures widely believed to combat poaching.

So good for them to stand against us
We the west world can be so obtuse

quote:

Originally posted by M.Shy:
So good for them to stand against us
We the west world can be so obtuse

Not the West…The Left…
Again we must identify the real problem if we are to address it

I stand corrected
But even Right is guilty of that as well
You ever heard Mark Levin talking about elephant hunters as murderers and Trump saying Horror show?

Trump also gave us the elephant trophy importation ban. He’s the reason I have a pair of tusks in a vault in Zimbabwe. Plenty of hunters struggle with the idea of elephant hunting too. Several years ago when I was being doxxed, many of the crudest and nastiest messages came from “fellow” hunters. Painting this as a “leftist” issue is pretty simplistic.

"Hunting is a horror show" Trump!

quote:

Originally posted by MJines:
Trump also gave us the elephant trophy importation ban. He’s the reason I have a pair of tusks in a vault in Zimbabwe. Plenty of hunters struggle with the idea of elephant hunting too. Several years ago when I was being doxxed, many of the crudest and nastiest messages came from “fellow” hunters. Painting this as a “leftist” issue is pretty simplistic.

Mike…you know Obama did that…but Trump disappointingly didn’t lift Obama ban when Zinke tried…Trump called it a “horror show” and simply left Obamas policy alone
You know full well you just told a fib…
These are DC 4th branch of government problems

Europe is trying to shut down food production (farming) as well claiming it is killing the environment.

No food will kill people faster.

It was Trump who put efforts to allow importation on hold at the same time speaking of the horrors of trophy hunting. Your comment actually makes my point though . . . this is not a “left” or “right” issue. Elephant hunting evokes powerful emotions on both sides. Hunting super tuskers that wander out of national parks frequented by thousands of tourists annually simply serves to alienate those that might be inclined to be open minded on the issue. When you have a sport that is enjoyed by a distinct minority of the population and within that sport a segment of hunting, in this case elephant hunting, enjoyed by an even smaller minority, to take actions that invite an intense negative public response seem foolish and shortsighted. As hunters we ignore public opinion at our peril. That has nothing to do with political affiliation or views. That is just pragmatism.

quote:

Originally posted by Aspen Hill Adventures:
Europe is trying to shut down food production (farming) as well claiming it is killing the environment.

No food will kill people faster.

Very true.

The TWO LEGGED cows are jealous of the FOUR LEGGED cows!

quote:

Originally posted by MJines:
It was Trump who put efforts to allow importation on hold at the same time speaking of the horrors of trophy hunting. Your comment actually makes my point though . . . this is not a “left” or “right” issue. Elephant hunting evokes powerful emotions on both sides. Hunting super tuskers that wander out of national parks frequented by thousands of tourists annually simply serves to alienate those that might be inclined to be open minded on the issue. When you have a sport that is enjoyed by a distinct minority of the population and within that sport a segment of hunting, in this case elephant hunting, enjoyed by an even smaller minority, to take actions that invite an intense negative public response seem foolish and shortsighted. As hunters we ignore public opinion at our peril. That has nothing to do with political affiliation or views. That is just pragmatism.

Very well said
One minor correction…Democrat politicians target hunters and shooters for one reason only…they assume they are all republicans…I may be projecting but that’s how see it

The typical colonial mindset is alive and well.

Agree is not a left or right issue. Is just a money issue.
Its a lot of money in the anti-hunting industry also connected with the eco-bullshit industry.
Its a lot of people making money out of that, compared to such amount of people we are very few and politics is a mass inclined thing.
They won the story long ago, selling bambi and other bullshit like that, pretending that humans should not be part of nature anymore.
In Europe, now we also have the green-suicide policy going on. They are just trying to force everyone to buy electric cars and planting solar pannels in all our crop fields... ITS SO STUPID THAT YOU JUST CAN BELIEVE IT.
But this is not a problem of intelligence or convenience or real nature conservation, this is a problem of economic interests.
Its a huge amount of money on car industry, solar and electricity companies, eco-bullshit companies, etc... Against that, the rural industry, in which we are included, is nothing.
I think we should join up and fight all this antihunting crap really seriously or we will not see our childs hunting.

quote:

Originally posted by spanishhunter:
Agree is not a left or right issue. Is just a money issue.
Its a lot of money in the anti-hunting industry also connected with the eco-bullshit industry.
Its a lot of people making money out of that, compared to such amount of people we are very few and politics is a mass inclined thing.
They won the story long ago, selling bambi and other bullshit like that, pretending that humans should not be part of nature anymore.
In Europe, now we also have the green-suicide policy going on. They are just trying to force everyone to buy electric cars and planting solar pannels in all our crop fields... ITS SO STUPID THAT YOU JUST CAN BELIEVE IT.
But this is not a problem of intelligence or convenience or real nature conservation, this is a problem of economic interests.
Its a huge amount of money on car industry, solar and electricity companies, eco-bullshit companies, etc... Against that, the rural industry, in which we are included, is nothing.
I think we should join up and fight all this antihunting crap really seriously or we will not see our childs hunting.

Well said
Sounds like we are not behind EU much…catching up so to speak

https://allafrica.com/stories/202403110369.html


Southern Africa: Hunting Trophy Ban Unjust to Local Communities in Southern Africa

11 MARCH 2024
The Herald (Harare)
By Sifelani Tsiko

Maun, Botswana — Europe's plans to ban the importation of trophy hunting products are unjust and pose a huge threat to conservation that centres on the people in southern African rangeland countries, wildlife ecologists say.

Prof Richard Fynn, an ecologist at the Okavango Research Institute of the University of Botswana told journalists drawn from Sadc countries that banning trophy hunting can have detrimental effects on the livelihoods of local communities and perpetuate colonial injustices.

"The ban on trophy hunting can harm conservation that centres on the people, the local communities that know and depend on their environment and has been vital in the conservation and protection of wildlife resources," he said.


"The rights of local communities to make decisions about their own resources are taken away. Western countries still perpetuate colonial injustices by adopting stringent measures that affect the livelihoods of local communities not only here in Botswana but in Africa as a whole."

Prof Fynn said past colonial social injustice in conservation, such as land grabs and strict conservation enclosures, forced displacement and exclusion of local communities from their natural resources.

The veteran ecologist said these experiences together with the latest moves by Europe to ban trophy hunting products exacerbated conflicts within and among local communities and negatively influenced support for conservation initiatives.

"Local communities are often disenfranchised by wildlife conservation. They lose land, they get huge human-wildlife conflicts and this a very unjust system," he said.


"This happens throughout Africa. Conservation has a colonial legacy with a top-down approach. Western countries strongly enforce this approach which is animal rights-based rather than people rights-based. This causes problems."

In addition, Prof Fynn said the ban on trophy hunting products by Europe will hit local communities hardest in Botswana and the whole southern African region.

The ban, he said, would have a collateral negative impact on neighbouring countries such as Namibia, Zimbabwe, South Africa and Zambia.

"African countries working with their local communities can stop runaway poaching. The West is still pushing for Western ways of doing conservation," he said.

"lt is very unjust. They are still trying to control how African governments do their wildlife conservation.


"This undermines efforts to undertake wildlife conservation for the people by the people. Communities can play a critical role."

Hunting is a major revenue generator for the southern African rangeland countries and this has faced fierce opposition from animal rights and welfare activists in Europe and North America.

Proceeds from trophy hunts in Botswana, Zimbabwe, Namibia, South Africa, Tanzania and Zambia help to reduce the impact of human-wildlife conflicts on community livelihoods.

Countries like the UK and France are in the process of considering legislation which prohibits hunting trophies from entering their territories while others like Canada and Belgium have even gone as far as to completely ban the import of hunting trophies.

Local communities, governments, NGOs, researchers and most tourism players fear that if the bill goes through in the UK to ban trophy hunting and trophy products, there will be a knock-on effect in Europe.

France and Finland are considering it and Belgium has banned trophy hunting products completely.

A hunting trophy ban in Italy is also a possibility.

Prof Joseph Mbaiwa of the University of Botswana said the hunting trophy ban would hurt conservation efforts by local communities and bankrupt them.

"Conservation will be hurt. You conserve because you see the benefits. If you don't benefit why should you conserve," he said.

"We need to market the benefits of trophy hunting more aggressively. We must tell the world as a region that trophy hunting is for development."

Southern African countries under the Kavango-Zambezi Trans-Frontier Conservation Area (KAZA) are home to about 230,000 elephants, thanks to good wildlife management practices and community-based natural resources initiatives.

"They know they can't influence legislation in Africa now. So, they are turning to emotional stances like wanting to ban trophy imports. It is a product of colonial legacy where they think they can still control our wildlife even from European capitals," said Prof Fynn.

"Trophy hunting is a just and ethical way for local communities to derive benefits that improve their livelihoods. It has a critical way in making sure that it brings benefits to local communities."

Apart from the trophy bans, a massive drive to shut down ivory trade worldwide has left Southern African elephant rangeland countries with virtually no markets to sell their ivory.

The ivory ban has left most SADC countries stuck with hundreds of tonnes of unsold ivory.

Had controlled trade been permitted, the countries could have generated revenue that could support animal welfare and protection as well as local communities.

Southern African nations including Botswana, Namibia, Zimbabwe, South Africa and Zambia have for years been battling the global wildlife trade regulator to grant them rights to sell ivory acquired through natural deaths, confiscations and culling.


The countries are home to the world's largest elephant population.

The big herds, faced with shrinking forest cover and human encroachment of their corridors, venture into human settlements looking for food and attack those who try to stop them.

This has led to the unending human-wildlife conflict among local communities living in areas adjacent to game sanctuaries.

Zimbabwe and most other SADC countries have not benefited substantially from the wildlife resources due to the Cites' ban on the ivory trade.

Zimbabwe and most other SADC countries are sitting on tonnes of ivory which they cannot dispose of owing to a Cites ban.

The country is sitting on ivory and rhino horn stockpiles worth US$600 million.

Southern Africa is home to half of Africa's elephants and Zimbabwe's population of more than 84 000 against a carrying capacity of 40 000, is only second to that of Botswana in the world.

SADC countries often stand nearly alone in opposing the destruction of illegal ivory stockpiles and a total ban on the ivory trade among a slew of measures widely believed to combat poaching.

https://www.mmegi.bw/news/comm...er-hunting-bill/news

Communities petition British High Commission over hunting bill
Tuesday, March 12, 2024

Scores marched through the streets of Gaborone today to hand over a petition to the British High Commission, protesting the United Kingdom's anti-hunting bill.
The bill, which failed to pass at the House of Lords last year, is due to be re-tabled later this month, but Botswana is amongst southern Africans lobbying against the instrument. The Ngamiland Council of Non-Governmental Organisations (NCONGO), an umbrella organisation representing communities living alongside wildlife, led the march from the National Stadium to present the petition to the British High Commission's nature and climate change lead, Mark Ssemakula. Handing over the document, Poniso Shamukuni, who is the chairperson of the Chobe Enclave Conservation Trust outlined reasons why the hunting ban should not be effected. The Chobe Enclave Conservation Trust is a member of NCONGO. "We the communities living alongside wildlife represented by 22 Community Trusts across Botswana, write to you today with deep concern regarding the proposed bill to be presented to the UK Parliament on the prohibition of importation of trophies from CITES-listed species for importation to the United Kingdom," the petition reads. Shamukuni, through the petition, said Botswana has a long and proud conservation history, and that trophy hunting is a vital revenue source for communities living alongside wildlife.

Further, he said the absence of a hunting ban, as experienced around 2014, led to an increase in human-wildlife population, particularly as elephants strayed into non-wildlife range areas. Wildlife often damages crops and in some instances injures and kills humans, the petition noted.

"Trophy hunting can serve as a conservation tool when implemented responsibly and with consideration for wildlife populations. It aids in managing wildlife distribution, particularly the elephant population, to mitigate negative impacts on vegetation, agriculture, and livestock farming," Shamukuni said.


He said contrary to misconceptions, hunting in Botswana is controlled with particularly ageing male elephants targeted. In the petition, NCONGO argues that if a hunting ban is implemented, poaching incidences are likely to rise, as witnessed previously.

Shamukuni said it would be disastrous to ban hunting as the livelihood of communities living alongside animals would be greatly affected as they rely on wildlife-based tourism.

"We implore your government to carefully consider the implications of enacting The Hunting Trophies (Import Prohibition) Bill. Such a decision could have far-reaching negative consequences on wildlife populations, exacerbate human-wildlife conflicts, undermine conservation efforts, and impact the livelihoods and well-being of communities residing in wildlife areas," the communities plead.