http://allafrica.com/stories/201504070257.html



Zimbabwe: United States Ban Hits Campfire Revenues



A UNITED States ban on the importation of sport-hunted trophies of elephants from Zimbabwe has resulted in a significant dip in revenues for the Community Areas Management Programme for Indigenous Resources (CAMPFIRE), a report has indicated.

Established by the government in the 1980s, CAMPFIRE is a wildlife management programme under which local communities to sell hunting concessions to tour operators with the revenues used for communal development projects.

However, in April, 2014, the United States' Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) banned the import of sport-hunted black rhinoceros trophies from Namibia and prohibited Americans from bringing home elephant corpses after hunting and killing the animals in Zimbabwe.

The department recently lifted the ban on Namibia but indefinitely extended the Zimbabwe embargo "due to the inadequacy of information on Zimbabwe's elephant management program, as well as lingering questions about law enforcement and the use of hunting revenues".

However, CAMPFIRE says its revenues have declined from $2, 2 million to $1,5 million due to the ban.

The organisation has been actively involved in elephant hunting for more than 20 years and exports of elephant trophies to the U.S. and other countries.

Seventy per-cent of CAMPFIRE's income comes from elephant hunting.



"The ban technically expired last April but the US has failed to announce its review to ascertain its position regarding 2015 imports," said a source at the organisation.

"The ban has caused a massive disruption of hunting revenue inflows to communities. It has negatively also affected investment into the protection of wildlife and removed direct incentives at community level."

NewZimbabwe.com was also told that the loss of revenues would adversely impact conservation activities in affected communities.

"The loss of this income stream will certainly increase the loss of confidence by communities in wildlife management, and consequently threaten tolerance and survival of elephants in communal areas," the source said.

The embargo has also affected the local tourism industry.

Hunters can earn as much as $2,000 a day helping clients from America, Eastern Europe and Spain shoot anything from antelope to lion and elephant, according to the Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority.



A client will pay about $30,000 in permit fees and for the hire of a professional hunter to get an elephant. A lion kill will likely cost a hunter about $55,000, according to the authority's guidelines.

Environment minister, Saviour Kasukuwere, said he believed the ban was an extension of U.S. sanctions against members of President Robert Mugabe's government and ruling party over alleged human rights violations.

"It's very unfortunate that they've extended their sanctions to animals as well," he said last year.

Jerry Gotora, chairman of the Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Authority, said the embargo would not help conservation efforts.

"This ban just encourages poachers," he said by phone. "It just doesn't make any sense."

"As soon as you ban hunting, there's no income for the people and they resort to poaching," added South Africa-based hunter Lampies Bredenkamp.

For once, I agree with ZANU-PF.

I know of a company with a fantastic elephant area. Last year, 6 elephants went unsold. The power that be within the community advised the company that if they didn't start shooting more of the elephants on quota, the community would start killing them.

The ban is downright stupid, no doubt.

It's beyond stupid, it was done on purpose and in spite
And Chinese hunters are picking up the leftover tags for a bargain

May be the Zanu-Pf lot can stop the poaching too, instead of blaming Uncle Sam??

They are not the ones who have clean hands anyway??

Saeed,

Are you taking up for the good old USA? You should in this instance. We seem to be the only ones advocating for a rational solution.

Good hunting to all, and if you are a U.S. citizen, write your senator and congressperson.

Elephants will not survive without sport hunting. Talk to your greenie friends too. Kenya is an object lesson, Botswana is next. I hope Tanzania isn't close behind.

Could these communities somehow sue USFW?? Loss of income and resource due to lacking sufficient funds to maintain conservation operations??

quote:

Originally posted by Wowo:
Could these communities somehow sue USFW?? Loss of income and resource due to lacking sufficient funds to maintain conservation operations??

This is a bit far fetched1

Sue USFW for what??

For the problems their own government have created??

Both the Tanzania and the Zimbabwe governments are guilty of total lack of commitment to fight poaching, so why do they have to blame anyone else?