UB ADVOCATES FOR SELECTIVE HUNTING

The University of Botswana has backed recent recommendations made by the cabinet sub-committee on hunting ban regarding the lifting of the ban.

In a statement released by the university regarding its academic position on the ongoing global debate on possible lifting of the hunting ban, researchers at the University of Botswana (UB) are of the view that the hunting could be used as a conservation tool if carried out selectively on certain wildlife species and in collaboration with registered community trusts.

The university recommends selective hunting of specific wildlife species such as elephants and buffaloes, both of which deprive farmers of harvests owing to crops damaged by elephants and valueless pastoral farming caused by Foot and Mouth Disease prone buffaloes.

Hunting the two species, the institution argues, would do well in compensating for loss of arable and pastoral farming.

The university said focus should be placed in hunting old males who have already put their genes into the population.

“Hunting is a conservation tool when applied appropriately with the knowledge of wildlife populations, and can be used to manage the distribution of the elephant population in Botswana which impacts negatively on the vegetation,” one of UB’s recommendations reads.

The university also calls for involvement of Management Oriented Monitoring System (MOMS), a monitoring approach that involves communities in monitoring the natural resources in their local environment, including wildlife numbers.

Over and above hunting, the university calls for a human-centered approach towards conservation policy formulation.

“Conservation cannot succeed in the long term if local communities are alienated from wildlife and excluded from all decision-making processes over wildlife and no consideration given to their concerns,” the institution states.

Fingers crossed.

Honestly, what should happen, is to have a LARGE number of true Management vs. trophy hunts for several years.
300 Bulls (almost all trophies) will do little to help the very real overpopulation in many of those areas that have been effected so bad,y that virtually all other game is severely effected by habitat destruction.
But...I don't think that will happen

Buffalo? First time I’ve read that.

First Elephant, and now Buff.

Can PG be far behind?