Staff Reporter
THE environment minister, Pohamba Shifeta, is urging European countries to reconsider the possible ban to restrict the importation of hunting trophies into certain European countries, arguing that it will have unintended negative consequences for the Namibian people and wildlife.
Shifeta’s appeal comes as the ban (which could restrict the importation of hunting trophies into the United Kingdom (UK), Belgium and Finland) is under discussion, which comes after France and Netherlands already implemented restrictions of certain hunting trophies.
The minister said that he understands that the possible ban is motivated by an effort to conserve wildlife, but warned that it would actually hinder conservation in Namibia. According to him, trophy hunting (in Namibia) is a form of conservation itself.
Shifeta said that the country has always prioritised the protection and conservation of wildlife – so much so that even local communities are involved in protecting the country’s free-roaming wild animals. It is for this reason that the country’s wildlife is thriving, he argued.
However, he explained, this also meant that the wildlife populations have seen significant growth over the years, which has resulted in human-wildlife conflict.
“The population has grown, especially those destructive animals, like elephants, lions, other predators and large carnivores. They had to re-establish themselves and they settled in areas where they were before, but in those areas, there are human beings. That’s why the conflict is now escalating,” Shifeta added.
He said that it is therefore necessary to eliminate some of these animals annually, but in a calculated manner. The minister explained that the ministry thus allows international clients to pay a premium to hunt older individual animals, an approach that he considers the least extractive.
He said that this process removes just under 1% of the national wildlife population every year against the typical annual wildlife population growth of about 25% to 35%. He added that when it comes to slower breeding animals, like elephants, the offtake is about 0,2% annually.
“The Ministry closely regulates this practice, through registering trained local Professional Hunters who accompany each client and issuing permits based on quotas set using reliable information and scientific studies. The hunting clients may then export a part of the hunted animal (the trophy) as a memento of the hunting experience,” he explained.
Shifeta said that this practice is also economically valuable. According to the ministry’s statistics, the country recorded a total of 5 001 international trophy hunters in 2019. This number decreased in 2020 – most likely due to the Covid-19 pandemic – to 871, but picked up again in 2021, when 2 587 trophy hunters visited the country.
He explained that the possible ban would result in less trophy hunters visiting the country and emphasised that this will not only be detrimental to the (still recovering) economy, but will also increase human-wildlife conflict and put lives at risk.
As such, he argued, the ban would not only be a punishment, but also an indication that we live in an unfair world.
