The Zimbabwe Independent

Namibia’s internatio­nal hunting benefits increase

- Emmanuel Koro ENVIRONMEN­TAL JOURNALIST Koro is a Johannesbu­rg-based internatio­nal award-winning environmen­tal journalist who writes independen­tly on environmen­tal and developmen­tal issues in Africa.

NAMIBIA’S internatio­nal hunting permits increased by more than 600 in 2023, according to the country’s Ministry of Environmen­t, Forestry and Tourism official statistics.

“It’s estimated that hunters visiting Namibia constitute between 3% and 5% of total tourist arrivals, yet they contribute up to a quarter of the total revenue generated from tourism,” said the President of Namibia Profession­al Hunters Associatio­n (NAMPHA), Alex Cramer, showing that internatio­nal hunting brings in much more revenue than photograph­ic tourism. “ ese hunters are recognised for their generous tipping, which provides significan­t additional income for the staff and for purchasing costly gifts for their loved ones back home.”

He said that the funds raised from internatio­nal hunting “are very important for conservati­on efforts.”

“ ey (internatio­nal hunting funds) support game ranger operations, antipoachi­ng units, and community projects, underscori­ng hunting’s role in sustainabl­e conservati­on and community developmen­t,” noted President Cramer.

“An example of how these funds are used is evident in the support for game rangers and, in light of the horse units funded by the Game Products Trust Fund (GPTF), dedicated anti-poaching operations.

“ ese units are essential in the fight against poaching, especially when it comes to protecting endangered species like rhinos.”

He continued, “We have the moral and ethical obligation to allocate funds to conservanc­ies, wildlife councils and protected areas and to persons, organisati­ons and institutio­ns approved by the Minister (Namibia Minister of Environmen­t, Forestry and Tourism), to be used in connection with projects and programmes regarding wildlife conservati­on and management and rural developmen­t and to support measures aimed at improving the relationsh­ip between people and wildlife.”

President Cramer said that NAPHA also supports improvemen­ts in the monitoring, management, protection, sustainabl­e use and developmen­t of wildlife resources in rural areas.”

ere are currently 56 conservanc­ies that benefit from trophy hunting through approved tenders with hunting outfitters.

“ e agreements between community and hunting outfitter, are usually a combinatio­n of financial gain to the community, employment for community members and the building of infrastruc­ture like roads and camps,” said President Cramer.

Explaining the significan­ce of internatio­nal hunting revenue support to wildlife and habitat conservati­on in Namibia, President Cramer said that it “increases the economic value of wildlife, making it financiall­y viable for individual­s to engage in sustainabl­e hunting practices.”

“ is economic incentive is crucial for the conservati­on of wildlife population­s,” he noted. “To ensure these practices are sustainabl­e, Namibia’s Ministry of Environmen­t Forestry and Tourism regularly conducts game counts to monitor wildlife health.”

Unpacking the uniqueness of internatio­nal hunting’s contributi­on to Namibia’s tourism economy, President Cramer said that in “areas of Namibia that do not attract many tourists, hunting serves as an important source of income.”

“Without the financial benefits of trophy hunting (internatio­nal hunting), landowners might be more inclined to convert their land for agricultur­al use, potentiall­y overlookin­g wildlife conservati­on,” he said. “Trophy hunting thus provides a financial motivation to protect and sustainabl­y manage wildlife.”

He said that the specific socio-economic benefits that Namibian hunting communitie­s receive from the internatio­nal hunting “are usually a combinatio­n of financial gain to the community, employment for community members and the building of infrastruc­ture like roads and camps.”

Employment creation is one of the important socio-economic benefits that internatio­nal hunting continues to bring to Namibia.

“Hunting lodges, which often cater exclusivel­y to hunting parties, provide significan­t employment opportunit­ies and typically require more staff than agricultur­al farms.

“Roles include cooks, cleaners, waiters, and laundry staff, among others.

“ e employment impact of hunting lodges is substantia­l, as every employed individual supports at least three more people, thereby alleviatin­g potential government­al support needs.

“ is does not account for the numerous other roles such as assistants, camp attendants, trackers, skinners, cleaners, and taxidermis­ts who are indirectly employed through the sector.”

Internatio­nal hunting brings significan­t conservati­on and socio-economic benefits to Namibia but remains threatened by the anti-internatio­nal hunting lobby, largely from Western countries.

Explaining how Namibia protects itself against such threats, President Cramer said, “As you might have seen already, our Honourable Minister of Environmen­t, Forestry and Tourism Pohamba Shifeta sent a stern letter to his German Counterpar­t (protesting Germany’s moves to ban hunting trophies imports).

“We are astonished to learn from various sources that the German Federal Ministry for the Environmen­t, Conservati­on, Nuclear Safety and Consumer Protection plans to “‘make the import of hunting trophies of animal species listed in Appendices I and II of the Convention on Internatio­nal Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) more difficult and in some cases, completely prohibited’”, said Minister Shifeta in his protest letter.

“We would kindly like to ask you for the basis of this intention and what kind of imports you specifical­ly intend to restrict beyond regulation­s in place.

“ e use of our natural resources is enshrined in Namibia’s constituti­on (refer to Art. 95 (1)).

“Some of the species listed in the CITES Appendices are abundant and/or increasing in our country.

“ ese include savannah elephant, black and white rhino, lion, leopard, Hartmann’s zebra, giraffe, etc.”

President Cramer said that NAPHA “is in close contact with the Internatio­nal Council for Game and Wildlife Conservati­on (CIC) in Europe and whenever such threats rear their ugly heads, we make an effort to contact the relevant government­s and give them the facts.”

e CIC is a politicall­y independen­t, internatio­nal, non-government­al advisory body that advocates for wildlife conservati­on through the principles of sustainabl­e use.

 ?? ?? Hunting lodges, which often cater exclusivel­y to hunting parties, provide significan­t employment opportunit­ies.
Hunting lodges, which often cater exclusivel­y to hunting parties, provide significan­t employment opportunit­ies.
 ?? ?? Namibia Profession­al Hunters Associatio­n president Alex Cramer
Namibia Profession­al Hunters Associatio­n president Alex Cramer
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