Chronicle Editor
Nqobile Bhebhe, recently in Maun, Botswana
ON the surface, it might appear as a harmless proposed piece of legislation by the United Kingdom parliament targeting only Botswana, home to about 130 000 elephants, but it has immense potential to poke a huge devastating hole in regional economies.
Botswana, again, is facing what the Environment and Tourism Minister Dumezweni Mthimkhulu described as a relentless, unwarranted onslaught and unjustified attack by the United Kingdom.
Watch here: https://youtu.be/5vf_e3VYxUg
Early this year, the UK government announced the Hunting Trophies (Import Prohibition) Bill, a private member’s bill introduced by MP, Henry Smith which seeks to ban the import of hunting trophies from species of conservation concern.
Next week, the UK parliament is expected to debate the new bill. Last year, a similar bill was blocked.
A combination of lost income, increased conflict with wildlife and increased poaching all weighed on UK MPs’ minds when they overwhelmingly rejected the bill.
If passed, there is a consensus that a ban on the importation of trophy hunting products will hurt the livelihoods of local communities and tourism earnings that help the countries conserve their wildlife resources.
Trophy hunting is defined as the practice of killing large animals such as elephants, lions and tigers for sport.
Hunters often keep the heads or other parts of the animals for display.
Proceeds from trophy hunts in Botswana, Zimbabwe, Namibia, South Africa, Tanzania and Zambia help to reduce the impact of human-wildlife conflict on community livelihoods.
Available data indicates that the region is home to half of Africa’s elephants (230 000) and Zimbabwe’s population of more than 84 000 against a carrying capacity of 40 000, is only second to that of Botswana in the world.
Countries such as the UK and France are in the process of considering legislation that prohibits hunting trophies from entering their territories.
On the other hand, Canada and Belgium have gone as far as completely banning the import of hunting trophies.
Therefore, the Botswana government, local communities, wildlife producers, academics and other key players fear unwarranted domino effects of the trophy hunting ban in the region.
In recent extensive interactions in Botswana’s Gaborone and Maun with Sadc journalists drawn from Zimbabwe, Namibia, and South Africa, stakeholders said there is an urgent need for the region to put a united lobby movement against the bill.
Minister Mthimkhulu said, “This is a self-defeating bill that is aimed at putting the livelihoods of our people at risk. The people of Botswana are concerned about the developments in the West because hunting activities are a primary source of income generating activities of our people.”
He said the first port of call is to ensure that “we preserve the livelihoods of our people who depend on this industry.”
Mr Letlhogonolo Kamuti of Botswana’s Ngamiland Council of Non-Governmental Organisations (NCONGO) is of the firm view that the Sadc region should speak with one voice to fight the trophy hunting bans.
“It’s very critical to amplify our voices on this matter. We need to speak with one voice as local communities, players and as a region as a whole,” he told journalists in Maun.
In 2014, when Botswana was under former President Ian Khama, it had a moratorium banning of trophy hunting. Mr Kamuti said they had first-hand encounters with the devastating effects of the trophy hunting ban.
The moratorium was lifted in 2019.
“Wildlife knows no geographical boundaries. They cross countries and go everywhere. This means our challenges are the same, in short, this is an African problem,” added Mr Kamuti.
Ms Debbie Peake, Mochaba Developments managing director and a Botswana Wildlife Producers Association representative in Maun spoke on the potential job losses.
Watch here : https://youtu.be/Yeh1jVx4cs8
There is no consultation and the science behind the decision has not been explained, she said.
She added that the areas identified for hunting are marginalised and cannot be used for photographic purposes.
“This ban was never considered or communicated with any of the African countries. This bill needs to be killed before going any further. Hunting cannot operate in a restricted market, it will falter,” she said.
“About 3 000 people are likely to lose their jobs here. These are marginal areas with little potential for photography and agriculture. The hunting option is the only viable one.
“If the bill goes through in the UK, we are concerned about the knock-on effect in Europe. France and Finland are considering it and Belgium has done it. In Italy it is possible. Our market space is under a lot of pressure. The bans are being done without consultations with us. There is no consultation and the science behind the decisions has not been explained. About 70 percent of the information given to politicians is incorrect.
“The House of Commons is using this misinformation to push for the Bill. It’s very astonishing. The British people wouldn’t support a bill that hurt people and conservation,” Ms Peake said.
She added; “It hurts the people who carry the burden of conservation. It will hurt Zimbabwe’s Campfire project, hurt Zambia, hurt Namibia and South Africa.”
“Its against our sovereign right as a country to decide what works for us. UK, Belgium and Finland have thriving hunting industries and why is it okay for them and wrong for us? Why do they dictate things for us when we do not dictate things to them,” she quizzed.
Ms Peake said Sadc leaders should take up the matter and launch a diplomatic offensive.
“Communities, academia and conservationists have spoken that the bill is ill-conceived. I feel that the matter should now be elevated to Sadc level.
I believe that if it comes to Sadc, Presidents speaking against the bill, that would have a huge impact.”
Professor Richard Fynn, of the Okavango Research Institute under the University of Botswana, weighed in saying local communities are often disenfranchised by wildlife conservation.
Watch here: https://youtu.be/oSBDun5-NBg
“They lose land, they get huge human-wildlife conflicts and this is a very unjust system. This happens throughout Africa. Conservation has a colonial legacy with a top-down approach. Western countries strongly enforce this approach which is animal rights-based rather than people rights-based. This causes problems,” he said.
The wildlife economy, including trophy hunting, is an important part of the overall economy in Africa, especially in rural areas where natural resources are crucial for livelihoods and local development.
Southern Africa has a good record in biodiversity conservation and it holds globally important populations of the world’s lions, buffaloes, elephants, rhinos and many other species.
Prof Fynn said the West does not understand science but “acts on emotion rather than science.”
“They know they can’t influence legislation in Africa now. So, they’re turning to emotional stances like wanting to ban trophy imports.
“It is a product of colonial legacy where they think they can still control our wildlife even from European capitals. The West is still pushing for Western ways of doing conservation,” he said.
“This is very unjust. They’re still trying to control how African governments do their wildlife conservation. This undermines efforts to undertake wildlife conservation for the people by the people. Communities can play a critical role.”
The Botswana Wildlife Producers Association chief executive officer, Mr Isaac Theophilus fears the domino effect of the trophy hunting ban. BWPA represents nearly 80 percent of game ranch owners and all hunting operators in Botswana.
He said the region should not be punished for good wildlife management.
“The Botswana Wildlife Producers Association is afraid of the domino effect of the UK ban. The ban could spread to other European countries and have a huge impact on Sadc countries.
“We want to utilise our resources for the well-being of our rural people who often bear the brunt of wildlife encroachment. We should not be punished for taking care of our wildlife resources. Let the world allow us to utilise our resources as they do for their own,” he added.
Although the UK accounts for less than 10 percent of the market share in Botswana, Mr Theophillus said UK’s influence will have a ripple effect that will result in other European markets following suit in imposing trophy hunting bans.
Every year, hunters from the UK travel abroad, often to southern Africa and pay thousands of pounds to legally shoot animals, such as lions and elephants.
Professor Joseph Mbaiwa of the University of Botswana said the region should set up a water-tight media campaign strategy opposing the bill. The strategy, he said, should be backed by facts and scientific evidence.
“We need to market the benefits of trophy hunting more aggressively. We must tell the world as a region that trophy hunting is for development.
We must join hands as Sadc and let our presidents speak with one voice on this.
“Years ago, Presidents of Zimbabwe, Botswana, Zambia, Angola and Namibia met at KAZA. They spoke with one powerful voice on issues affecting the region. This is exactly what is needed again.
Bongani Ndlovu
Online Reporter