Somalia Opening Up for Hunting in 2012 or 2013

02 April 2011, 08:06

I’m heading back to the US tomorrow from a business trip to the Horn of Africa. After overnighting in Djibouti, I noticed something in this morning's local newspaper that surprised me. Here is the article from La Nation – the Djiboutian national newspaper:

Somalia: International Hunters to be First Tourists?

Source: IRIN Humanitarian News & Analysis/UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs

NAIROBI, 1 April 2011 (IRIN) – With bleak prospects for conventional tourism revenue forecast for at least the next ten years, the Somali head of the transitional government, Prime Minister Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed Farmajo, was quoted at a regional aid conference in Nairobi on Tuesday as saying that safari hunting may be a viable near-term source of hard currency for the financially beleaguered country.

Speaking to a reporter from Jamhuuriya, a daily Somaliland newspaper, the Prime Minister pointed out that Zimbabwe was benefitting from a thriving safari industry and that Robert Gabriel Mugabe, Zimbabwe’s President, had personally recommended opening portions of Somalia to foreign hunters, especially Britons and Americans.

“I’m told that safari hunters from Europe and the Americas are always looking for a challenging hunt to test their manhood, and we can offer them many unique challenges here in Somalia. We also have animals found nowhere else on the planet that could serve as an attraction to this kind of person. For example, the silver dik-dik is found only in Somalia, and that could prove an intoxicating enticement to hunters of rare species. They are a beautiful animal, shy, virtually extinct, and reclusive – and very tasty, too.”

When asked whether the civil strife in Somalia might make such tourism dangerous, Farmajo replied, “Not at all. These people (hunters) enjoy the danger, and after all they bring their own weapons, so unlike your usual tourists, they can protect themselves from the odd bandit or rascal.”

Prime Minister Farmajo’s comments prompted a fierce rebuke from several organizations, including the International Fund for Animal Welfare, the Committee to Abolish Sport Hunting, and the Somali Coalition for Fisherman and Justice.

The latter group, which has served as a spokesperson for Somali fisherman arrested for international piracy at sea by the United States and various European Union nations, sent out a press release that said in part, “Inviting so-called (western) hunters to enter Somalia with firearms and ammunition is a transparent ploy by the CIA and its proxies to infiltrate mercenaries into our sovereign country. In concert with our brothers in Al Shabaab, we will fight the apostates who propose such policies, and should these hunter/crusaders choose to visit Somalia, they will find themselves being hunted. The world will then rejoice in seeing their remains prepared by The Wildlife Gallery, who we are told do really good work.”

Joe Melee, president of the US-based Committee to Abolish Sport Hunting, posted on his popular blog ‘Animal Love Is a Many-Splendored Thing’, “A travesty is taking place in eastern Africa where Somalia’s Prime Minister is seriously considering opening up their borders to hunters. To allow these psychos, sexually demented perverts, girly-men, and other would-be Hemingways to slaughter that country’s indigenous creatures is an outrage. Should Somalia go through with this dastardly plan, I will immediately call for our members to boycott all Somali goods in US stores, as well as immediately starting 24-hour picket-lines outside every travel agency, urging Americans to avoid Somalia during their summer vacation.”

When asked for a comment on the situation, a representative from the US-based hunting organization, Safari Club International (SCI), responded that, “(t)he move by the provisional government of Somalia to open up hunting to our members is further evidence of the hard work and success of our organization. Several of our executive board members flew into Mogadishu last week to test the hunting waters there before recommending this as a new safari venue to our membership. While we haven’t heard from them in days, we feel confident that we will soon receive back encouraging news about this most exciting new hunting destination.”

Before hunting begins in Somalia there are several steps that must be taken, according to an unnamed senior official in the Prime Minister’s office. The first is for Somalia to submit ‘documents for consideration’ of proposed CITES-listed species during the 25th meeting of the CITES Animals Committee in Geneva, Switzerland next July.

The second is for the Somali Tourism Bureau to reserve a booth at the annual SCI conference to be held in Las Vegas, Nevada in January 2012. However, the CITES protocols may be the easiest hurdle to overcome, according to Russian CITES delegate Ivan A. Kutchurkokov. “Obtaining a booth at SCI so late in 2011 will require more than throwing a few gratis safaris to that organization’s hierarchy”, exclaimed Kutchurkokov. "Those SCI guys make our Russian mafia look like girl scouts."

Has anyone else heard about this turn of events? I'm surprised Kathi didn't pick up on this first. Pretty exciting development, if you ask me.

02 April 2011, 08:16

Hunting For Adventure

That would be exciting. I wonder what the current status of wildlife is like in the country.

02 April 2011, 08:20

cable68

Just to stir the pot; notice the last line in the press release.

02 April 2011, 08:22

steve_robinson

02 April 2011, 09:21

zhaba

maybe its a cull hunt......for pirates.....

02 April 2011, 10:32

Mike_Dettorre

quote:
The second is for the Somali Tourism Bureau to reserve a booth at the annual SCI conference to be held in Las Vegas, Nevada in January 2012. However, the CITES protocols may be the easiest hurdle to overcome, according to Russian CITES delegate Ivan A. Kutchurkokov. “Obtaining a booth at SCI so late in 2011 will require more than throwing a few gratis safaris to that organization’s hierarchy”, exclaimed Kutchurkokov. "Those SCI guys make our Russian mafia look like girl scouts."

SCI leaderships is just so misunderstood.

Mike

Legistine actu quod scripsi?

Never under estimate the internet community's ability to reply to your post with their personal rant about their tangentially related, single occurrence issue.

What I have learned on AR, since 2001:
1. The proper answer to: Where is the best place in town to get a steak dinner? is…You should go to Mel's Diner and get the fried chicken.
2. Big game animals can tell the difference between .015 of an inch in diameter, 15 grains of bullet weight, and 150 fps.
3. There is a difference in the performance of two identical projectiles launched at the same velocity if they came from different cartridges.
4. While a double rifle is the perfect DGR, every 375HH bolt gun needs to be modified to carry at least 5 down.
5. While a floor plate and detachable box magazine both use a mechanical latch, only the floor plate latch is reliable. Disregard the fact that every modern military rifle uses a detachable box magazine.
6. The Remington 700 is unreliable regardless of the fact it is the basis of the USMC M40 sniper rifle for 40+ years with no changes to the receiver or extractor and is the choice of more military and law enforcement sniper units than any other rifle.
7. PF actions are not suitable for a DGR and it is irrelevant that the M1, M14, M16, & AK47 which were designed for hunting men that can shoot back are all PF actions.
8. 95 deg F in Africa is different than 95 deg F in TX or CA and that is why you must worry about ammunition temperature in Africa (even though most safaris take place in winter) but not in TX or in CA.
9. The size of a ding in a gun's finish doesn't matter, what matters is whether it’s a safe ding or not.
10. 1 in a row is a trend, 2 in a row is statistically significant, and 3 in a row is an irrefutable fact.
11. Never buy a WSM or RCM cartridge for a safari rifle or your go to rifle in the USA because if they lose your ammo you can't find replacement ammo but don't worry 280 Rem, 338-06, 35 Whelen, and all Weatherby cartridges abound in Africa and back country stores.
12. A well hit animal can run 75 yds. in the open and suddenly drop with no initial blood trail, but the one I shot from 200 yds. away that ran 10 yds. and disappeared into a thicket and was not found was lost because the bullet penciled thru. I am 100% certain of this even though I have no physical evidence.
13. A 300 Win Mag is a 500 yard elk cartridge but a 308 Win is not a 300 yard elk cartridge even though the same bullet is travelling at the same velocity at those respective distances.

02 April 2011, 12:44

BrettAKSCI

quote:
Originally posted by KPete:
"Those SCI guys make our Russian mafia look like girl scouts."[/color]

Well it looks like I'll be added to the Alaska chapter board of directors this year. Hopefully I can do my part to give SCI a good name!

Brett

02 April 2011, 17:04

Die Ou Jagter

Only on AR can a positive post about future hunting locations turn in to an SCI bashing party.

02 April 2011, 17:25

Caracal

quote:
When asked whether the civil strife in Somalia might make such tourism dangerous, Farmajo replied, “Not at all. These people (hunters) enjoy the danger, and after all they bring their own weapons, so unlike your usual tourists, they can protect themselves from the odd bandit or rascal.”

I bet this is a April joke.

02 April 2011, 18:37

Rich Elliott

We looked into it late last year. It definitely isn't ready yet!

Rich Elliott

02 April 2011, 19:28

GunsCore

quote:
Prime Minister Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed Farmajo

Finally, an African leader with a brain!

02 April 2011, 19:38

Matt Graham

If SCI were actually mafia-like ... then Somalia could surely buy a booth for the right price!!!

02 April 2011, 19:49

TANZ-PH

Joe Melee, president of the US-based Committee to Abolish Sport Hunting, posted on his popular blog ‘Animal Love Is a Many-Splendored Thing’, “A travesty is taking place in eastern Africa where Somalia’s Prime Minister is seriously considering opening up their borders to hunters. To allow these psychos, sexually demented perverts, girly-men, and other would-be Hemingways to slaughter that country’s indigenous creatures is an outrage. Should Somalia go through with this dastardly plan, I will immediately call for our members to boycott all Somali goods in US stores, as well as immediately starting 24-hour picket-lines outside every travel agency, urging Americans to avoid Somalia during their summer vacation.”
________________________________________________
Mr mellie is a moran. somalia is about the last place on planet earth anyone (with an once of gray matter) would want to go for a "summer vacation"!!

02 April 2011, 19:54

Antlers

quote:
“Obtaining a booth at SCI so late in 2011 will require more than throwing a few gratis safaris to that organization’s hierarchy”, exclaimed Kutchurkokov. "Those SCI guys make our Russian mafia look like girl scouts."

I'm sorry, but that's funny...

02 April 2011, 19:58

505 gibbs

quote:
“I’m told that safari hunters from Europe and the Americas are always looking for a challenging hunt to test their manhood, and we can offer them many unique challenges here in Somalia. We also have animals found nowhere else on the planet that could serve as an attraction to this kind of person. For example, the Silver Dik-dik is found only in Somalia, and that could prove an intoxicating enticement to hunters of rare species. They are a beautiful animal, shy, rare, and reclusive – and very tasty, too.”

This statement smells like anti-hunter propaganda to me.

quote:
When asked whether the civil strife in Somalia might make such tourism dangerous, Farmajo replied, “Not at all. These people (hunters) enjoy the danger, and after all they bring their own weapons, so unlike your usual tourists, they can protect themselves from the odd bandit or rascal.”

Hmm, sounds inviting.

quote:
Prime Minister Farmajo’s comments prompted a fierce rebuke from several organizations, including the International Fund for Animal Welfare, the Committee to Abolish Sport Hunting, and the Somali Coalition for Fisherman and Justice.

The latter group, which has served as a spokesperson for Somali fisherman arrested for international piracy at sea by the United States and various European Union nations, sent out a press release that said in part, “Inviting so-called (western) hunters to enter Somalia with firearms and ammunition is a transparent ploy by the CIA and its proxies to infiltrate mercenaries into our sovereign country. In concert with our brothers in Al Shabaab, we will fight the apostates who propose such policies, and should these hunter/crusaders choose to visit Somalia, they will find themselves being hunted. The world will then rejoice in seeing their remains prepared by The Wildlife Gallery, who we are told do really good work.”

we will fight the apostates? Hello, Islam meet hunters, hunters meet Islam.

And what's up with calling out "The Wildlife Gallery" by name? Brad? Dan? Where you guys at? Are the muslim jihadist part of your target demographic? I smell anti's

quote:
Joe Melee, president of the US-based Committee to Abolish Sport Hunting, posted on his popular blog ‘Animal Love Is a Many-Splendored Thing’, “A travesty is taking place in eastern Africa where Somalia’s Prime Minister is seriously considering opening up their borders to hunters. To allow these psychos, sexually demented perverts, girly-men, and other would-be Hemingways to slaughter that country’s indigenous creatures is an outrage. Should Somalia go through with this dastardly plan, I will immediately call for our members to boycott all Somali goods in US stores, as well as immediately starting 24-hour picket-lines outside every travel agency, urging Americans to avoid Somalia during their summer vacation.”

Speak of the devil, and the devil appears.

quote:
When asked for a comment on the situation, a representative from the US-based hunting organization, Safari Club International (SCI), responded that, “(t)he move by the provisional government of Somalia to open up hunting to our members is further evidence of the hard work and success of our organization. Several of our executive board members flew into Mogadishu last week to test the hunting waters there before recommending this as a new safari venue to our membership. While we haven’t heard from them in days, we feel confident that we will soon receive back encouraging news about this most exciting new hunting destination.”

Before hunting begins in Somalia there are several steps that must be taken, according to an unnamed senior official in the Prime Minister’s office. The first is for Somalia to submit ‘documents for consideration’ of proposed CITES-listed species during the 25th meeting of the CITES Animals Committee in Geneva, Switzerland next July.

The second is for the Somali Tourism Bureau to reserve a booth at the annual SCI conference to be held in Las Vegas, Nevada in January 2012. However, the CITES protocols may be the easiest hurdle to overcome, according to Russian CITES delegate Ivan A. Kutchurkokov. “Obtaining a booth at SCI so late in 2011 will require more than throwing a few gratis safaris to that organization’s hierarchy”, exclaimed Kutchurkokov. "Those SCI guys make our Russian mafia look like girl scouts."

Since when does a government think it requires the blessing of SCI to become a hunting destination. If SCI has actually visited the interim government and convinced them of this, the last comparison sounds fairly accurate. Maybe SCI should be given a seat at the UN.

02 April 2011, 20:05

Matt Graham

Well Larry Rudolph DID address the United Nations last year!!

02 April 2011, 20:11

Bwanamich

come on guys................. APRIL FOOLS TO ALL OF YOU!

02 April 2011, 20:23

Caracal

quote:
Originally posted by Rich Elliott:
We looked into it late last year. It definitely isn't ready yet!

Rich Elliott

Is there any wildlife left in somalia?

02 April 2011, 21:10

aussie21

Hell with the silver dik dik, let's go on a skinny hunt ! I liked the part in the article where they said bringing in hunters was a plot by the cia to import mercenaries. Hahaha, don't flatter yourself dipshits if anyone wanted to get in Somalia they could just casually stroll right in.

03 April 2011, 04:32

jetdrvr

quote:
Originally posted by TANZ-PH:
Joe Melee, president of the US-based Committee to Abolish Sport Hunting, posted on his popular blog ‘Animal Love Is a Many-Splendored Thing’, “A travesty is taking place in eastern Africa where Somalia’s Prime Minister is seriously considering opening up their borders to hunters. To allow these psychos, sexually demented perverts, girly-men, and other would-be Hemingways to slaughter that country’s indigenous creatures is an outrage. Should Somalia go through with this dastardly plan, I will immediately call for our members to boycott all Somali goods in US stores, as well as immediately starting 24-hour picket-lines outside every travel agency, urging Americans to avoid Somalia during their summer vacation.”
________________________________________________
Mr mellie is a moran. somalia is about the last place on planet earth anyone (with an once of gray matter) would want to go for a "summer vacation"!!

Just what Somali goods would they be boycotting? Camel's milk? That and empty Soviet era shell casings are about the only things I can think of that might be exported.

I haven't been there in a while, but that was one nasty place when I was going there. I can't imagine things have changed very much.

Summer vacation, my a$$!

03 April 2011, 07:03

Matt Graham

Last I heard - Somalia basically didnt have a government...

04 April 2011, 11:58

buckeyeshooter

so would you need to carry your hunting rifle, your handgun and an assult rifle to hunt there safely?

04 April 2011, 18:07

Rich Elliott

quote:
Originally posted by Caracal:
quote:
Originally posted by Rich Elliott:
We looked into it late last year. It definitely isn't ready yet!

Rich Elliott

Is there any wildlife left in somalia?

Not sure about Somalia (which is the part of Old Somalia that is in the south) but Somaliland, which is not recognized by any other country, has some really remote areas with little human population which should have populations of Northern Gerenuk, Somali Soemerring's gazelle, Beisa Oryx, Biera, Lesser kudu, desert warthog, and either Harar or Phillips dik-dik. When you cross the border there into Ethiopia these species are present.
Rich Elliott

04 April 2011, 18:54

Caracal

quote:
Originally posted by Rich Elliott:
quote:
Originally posted by Caracal:
quote:
Originally posted by Rich Elliott:
We looked into it late last year. It definitely isn't ready yet!

Rich Elliott

Is there any wildlife left in somalia?

Not sure about Somalia (which is the part of Old Somalia that is in the south) but Somaliland, which is not recognized by any other country, has some really remote areas with little human population which should have populations of Northern Gerenuk, Somali Soemerring's gazelle, Beisa Oryx, Biera, Lesser kudu, desert warthog, and either Harar or Phillips dik-dik. When you cross the border there into Ethiopia these species are present.
Rich Elliott

Thanks for the Info. There was a article about traveling in somaliland in a german travel magazine. Maybe the place to get a cheap lesser kudu (and to get kidnapped)

04 April 2011, 20:48

Dave Fulson

Can anyone say " April Fools?" Good giggle Pete!!

04 April 2011, 22:52

JTEX

That's a good one. You got lotsa bites!

05 April 2011, 00:52

retreever

Hey Kim! I just booked my hunt. My light rifle is a quad 50 and my heavy gun is a Abrams A1.

Mike

05 April 2011, 02:08

KPete

quote:
Originally posted by retreever:
Hey Kim! I just booked my hunt. My light rifle is a quad 50 and my heavy gun is a Abrams A1.

Mike

Congratulations, Mike! I can't wait for the Hunt Report.

By the way, while you're there could you look for those still missing SCI executives? Seems that after they left the Mogadishu Airways First Class Lounge (nicely appointed with kevlar recliner seats and a roof) with a representative from Mohamed Farrah Aidid Safaris they stopped communicating with Headquarters.

Even Ivan A. Kutchurkokov is worried ...

05 April 2011, 07:34

Lhook7

quote:
Even Ivan A. Kutchurkokov is worried

That is funny! I missed it in its original context.

05 April 2011, 17:45

Rich Elliott

quote:
Posted 05 April 2011 06:34 Hide Post
quote:
Even Ivan A. Kutchurkokov is worried

That is funny! I missed it in its original context.

Me too. You know, they still do that to "farenges" in some of those areas

Rich Elliott

05 April 2011, 21:48

Caracal

quote:
Originally posted by Caracal:
Thanks for the Info. There was a article about traveling in somaliland in a german travel magazine. Maybe the place to get a cheap lesser kudu (and to get kidnapped)

Just had a closer look on that aticle in the travel magazine. According to the author the minster for tourism in somaliland would like to open his country for int. hunters.

06 April 2011, 12:22

L. David Keith

After what those jackasses did to our young men in Mogadishu, the only thing I'd want to hunt is them. Not a good place for American's I would venture, big game or not.
LDK

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