…sector also employs over 6000 people in rural areas
Namibia’s wildlife population generates Euro 13.6 million (about N$227 million) in annual hunting revenues and employs over 6,000 people in rural areas, minister of environment, forestry and tourism, Pohamba Shifeta has said.
Shifeta highlighted that Namibia’s wildlife also contribute to food security, as over 95% of the venison produced on remains within Namibia.
“The economic contribution of the wildlife sector has overtaken livestock production and is an important part of our future adaptation to climate change in our semi-arid country. The economic competitiveness of wildlife-based land use has driven Namibia’s re-wilding success, with huge gains for wildlife, biodiversity conservation, job creation and the national economy,” Shifeta said last week.
He went on to highlight that his ministry has the mandate to manage and protect wildlife on State-owned National Parks and Nature Reserves and is at the forefront of the government’s anti-poaching efforts, plays a vital role in supporting communal conservancies and managing the rhino custodianship programme.
“These efforts are partly funded through the Game Product Trust Fund (GPTF), a statutory body created by an Act of Parliament, which receives revenue from hunting and live wildlife sales. Data from 2020 – 2021 reveal that GPTF spent about Euro 1.2 million (about N$20 million) on conservation programmes, 73% of which was dedicated to anti-poaching and other wildlife management activities such as rhino conservation and Protected Area Management,” he further said.
In 2019, a total of 5001 trophy hunters visited Namibia for hunting. German tourists or hunters were the highest with a total of 1792 (36%), followed by USA with 934 (19%), Austria 378 (7%), Hungary 210 (4%), France 196 (4%), Sweden 189 (4%), Spain 155 (3%), Denmark 103 (2%), Russia (2%), Australia 70 (1%). Other countries were to a combined number of 888 (18%) of hunters.
In 2020, a total of 871 trophy hunters were recorded. German hunters were the highest with 322 (37%) hunters, followed by the USA with 121 (14%) and thirdly Austria with 95 (11%). Other countries for 2020 from where the hunters came from are France 42 (5%), Denmark 35 (4%), Namibia 33 (4%), Hungary 30 (3%), Sweden 24 (3%), Czech Republic 21 (2%), RSA 21 (2%) and other countries at 127 (15%).
In 2021, a total of 2587 trophy hunters were recorded. German hunters were once again the highest with 824 (32%) hunters, followed by the USA with 775 (30%) and thirdly Hungary with 146 (6%). Other countries for 2021 from where the hunters came from are Austria 108 (4%), France 84 (3%), Spain 80 (3%), Denmark 39 (2%), Czech Republic 43 (2%), Romania 62 (2%), Switzerland 45 (2%) and other countries at 381 (15%).
“Conservation hunting is therefore an important part of our integrated sustainable development and conservation strategy. The most economically valuable and least extractive form of hunting is selective, high value hunting whereby an international client pays a premium to hunt older individual animals. 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. Most of the animal enters the local food chain. This form of hunting removes just under 1% of the national wildlife population each year, against typical wildlife population growth of about 25 to 35% per year. In the case of slower breeding species such as elephant, typically breeding at 3 to 5% per year, the offtake is far lower, at about 0.2%. High value hunting by clients from Europe and elsewhere is therefore an important contributor to the sustainable wildlife economy in Namibia and to Namibia’s growing “re-wilding” conservation programme,” further said Shifeta adding that, should the countries he mentioned ban import and export of hunting trophies that will erode all the progress made in our country since independence, particularly if other more European countries follow suit.
European hunters account for over half of the total hunting revenue to Namibia.
“Without a suitable alternative that fully replaces the income, employment and protein provided by conservation hunting in Namibia, both our people and wildlife will suffer. We therefore appeal to them not to opt for the route of any bans but rather continue to apply current controls based on internationally agreed rules. While we understand that trophy hunting might not always contribute to rural development and conservation in all countries as it does in Namibia, any ban on trophy import and export, whether selective or not would effectively undermine the Namibian people and our successful conservation model,” further expressed Shifeta.