Johannesburg - Africa is in danger of losing one of its biggest revenue streams if a ban that prevents British game hunters from bringing home severed heads as trophies is passed.
It also appears that African leaders and experts are at odds with the proposal, with some supporting a ban and others warning that it would be catastrophic.
Some African leaders said the move would promote a beggar-like dependency on foreign aid. The high commissioners of South Africa, Botswana, Namibia, Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe warned that the legislation might not discourage hunting.They argued that it would instead remove incentives for locals to protect animals from poachers.
A total of 103 conservation experts, scientists, government officials and community leaders from across Africa wrote to members of Britain’s House of Lords, urging them to back the ban.
But acting chief director of communications and awareness in the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment, Peter Mbelengwa, said South Africa’s game hunting market was divided into two categories: the domestic or biltong hunting market and the international or trophy hunting market.
“The domestic or biltong hunting market generated an estimated R11.6 billion in 2017, while the international or trophy hunting sector contributed between R1.7bn and R2.2bn to South Africa’s economy. This income is derived from an estimated 200 000 domestic or biltong hunters and 7 500 to 8 500 foreign or trophy hunters.”
Mbelengwa said the move to ban the import of hunting trophies was ill-informed and would have a devastating impact on the economy, not least the loss of much-needed foreign direct revenue.
“It will also impact negatively on the livelihoods of rural communities as this is one of the main industries that has a significant footprint in far-flung rural areas, providing a source of income to thousands of people. Estimates from the National Biodiversity Assessment Report indicate that the biodiversity sector sustains 418 000 jobs, of which 256 000 are directly linked to the extractive use of biodiversity, which includes hunting, fishing and the harvesting of plant species.”
The House of Lords in the UK is debating the Hunting Trophies (Import Prohibition) Bill, which aims to strengthen the conservation of endangered species.
“The British government has proposed that southern African countries that do lose hunting revenue should apply for UK grant money and aid funding. However, promoting a beggar-like dependency on aid is a 19th century solution to a 21st century problem,” the UK government said.
Meanwhile, Mbelengwa said the ban of trophy imports to traditional markets such as Europe would have a major impact on animal numbers, with direct ramifications for sustainable management of wildlife and community livelihoods.
“The harvesting of trophy animals is a biodiversity and conservation management tool. It is a carefully planned and managed process where old and unproductive bulls are harvested to allow young bulls space to compete for production. This competition thus supports sustainable growth of populations while ensuring that the revenue derived from it sustains the operations of the game farm and supports livelihood of communities.”
He said the proposed ban would have a devastating impact on the management of South Africa’s biodiversity. Most affected would be private farms and community game parks that depend on revenue derived from the harvesting of game, among other sources, for income.
Mbelengwa added that the UK grant money, if available, could be best channelled to support industry players to expand their businesses while supporting previously disadvantaged communities and people so that they could meaningfully participate in the wildlife value chain.
“This can be done by making start-up capital available for infrastructure grants and the purchase of land for game farming. In that way, such individuals and communities will be able to run and operate their own businesses and become key players in the Industry without being dependent on foreign aid,” he said.