By OBAKENG MAJE
Professor Peet van der Merwe from the North West University’s Tourism Research in Economics, Environs and Society (TREES) said Africa must take ownership of its own wildlife. Van der Merwe said Botswana has proven how effective it is at sustainable wildlife conservation.
He further said hunting is an effective tool to manage wildlife sustainably. Van der Merwe added that Germany’s proposed ban on the import of hunting trophies over poaching concerns has drawn the ire of Botswana’s President, Mokgweetsi Masisi.
“Botswana is home to the world’s largest elephant population, which has grown to more than 130 000. Marauding elephant herds wreak havoc on local crops, properties and are endangering the lives of the country’s citizens, and Masisi says that hunting is one way to stem the destructive tide.
“However, Germany’s environment ministry has called for stricter rules on the import of hunting trophies, to which Masisi vowed to send 20 000 elephants to Germany. Botswana has already given 8 000 elephants to Angola and has promised about 500 to Mozambique,” he said.
Van der Merwe said that the continent’s conservation should be left in local hands.
“I completely agree with Masisi’s stance on how Botswana wants to manage wildlife, especially elephants. Africa must take ownership of its own wildlife. I think it is time that Germany and other countries stop telling us how to manage our wildlife. It is our wildlife, and we know the best way to do it.
“Botswana has a very good conservation management system and model, and they have proved over the years how effectively and sustainably they can manage their wildlife,” said van der Merwe.
He said hunting is one of the tools one can use to manage wildlife sustainably. Van der Merwe said there are many poverty-stricken communities in Botswana and if they cannot plant or harvest crops due to elephant populations destroying their crops, what are they going to do?
“How will they survive? Hunting generates a lot of income for local, impoverished communities. That money can be used to uplift those communities and there can be investments in those communities.
“Botswana, South Africa, Namibia and Zimbabwe, to name but a few, all have very good conservation management strategies. We have healthy wildlife populations and we have proven that we can manage them sustainably,” he said.
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