Botswana bans hunting
Posted: Wed Nov 07, 2012 10:09 am
Friends, it appears that hunting will be banned in Botswana as from 2013 (see the link and text below - copied and pasted from the SAHGCA website)
Kenya?s game population has declined by how much since hunting was banned there? Some sources say 70% others 90% and others a more modest 60%.
I suspect that there is a pretty good chance that Botswana will eventually go the same way if all hunting is banned there. It is unclear if hunting will also be banned on private game farms. I have no idea how much land in Botswana is in private hands but if it is substantial, and if hunting is allowed to continue there, then there is at least some hope ? for the time being.
Let the poaching begin. Who can begrudge the local communities that were benefitting from hunting on public land if they now start poaching?
This terrible decision by the Botswana Govt is just another small step toward banning hunting here as well and undoing our conservation successes. Be assured that almost every bit of animal rights propaganda will now refer to ?bold, progressive and necessary steps taken by the Botswana govt ?? and when used enough (and particularly if their new angle goes unchallenged) the minds of neutral decision and policy makers in SA will slowly be poisoned.
As hunting and other animal use industries we continue to make comparatively small peeps here and there against what is happening. Ron Thompson has called for this before and I think it makes sense: a well funded association of animal use industries and real conservation bodies making a big noise will be able to achieve much more in the fight against the animal rightists than an uncoordinated and fragmented effort from individual bodies.
http://www.pacificbreeze353.com/newslet ... 49&langu=1
Botswana Bans Hunting
06 Nov 2012
Botswana?s president Ian Khama has announced that the government will no longer issue licenses for hunting wild animals in the country.
In a progressive move to protect the country?s natural heritage and the tourism industry, he said that the government of Botswana, through the Environment and Wildlife Ministry, would stop issuing hunting licenses as of next year.
In the address to locals in Maun (the spring-board town to the popular Okavango Delta), Khama said that the issuing of hunting licenses has fuelled poaching in the country and prevented the tourism industry from growing sustainably and significantly.
The Okavango Delta, home to a remarkable diversity of animals, plants and birds, attracts thousands of visitors from around the world each year. It?s Africa?s largest wetland wilderness.
Hunting concessions are currently operated within the delta, as well as in the Central Kalahari Game Reserve further south.
Khama made clear that tourism is increasingly important for Botswana and contributes at least 12 percent to the overall GDP of the country.
?Our wildlife control measure through issuance of hunting licenses has reached its limit,? said Khama.
Comments:
Posted by Lutz Otto on 07 November 2012 at 07:43
For those who have a true interest in conservation, sustainable utilisation and hunting ? This should not be news and our local apathy towards this threat could very well lead us in the same direction. This threat is real and live ? And contrary to sometimes popular opinion this same threat is not only an ?Africa thing? but global.
We have fantastic success story?s of local national parks and a relatively thriving game industry but this does not detract from the fact that that hunting in South Africa is under constant threat from not only animal rightists but also from the government, lack of global conservation understanding, consumerism, corruption, exponentially growing human population as well as locally impoverished communities. There is a strong and threatening undercurrent constantly at play which too many chose to ignore.
With regards the local communities they in many instances see far too little benefit from the ?sustainable utilisation principles? and if they did, this latter group in particular could become our allies through there seeing greater benefit from wildlife. Besides the threatening ?van Aardes? of the world these poverty fuelled communities next to all of our game farms, national and provincial parks see these places as the domain of rich people who have the time to drive around and ?lovingly look at animals? whereas they see the animals as either nyama or a threat to their meagre livelihoods. The latter statement holds true, amongst others, for our world famous Kruger Park.
There is a naivety, ignorance or perhaps ostrich syndrome, amongst many about the status of true conservation ? Locally and globally. We really should focus on empowering ourselves with deeper understanding too allow us to tackling these challenges more proactively.
It is long overdue that hunters, field guides, the game rangers association, IUCN styled NGO?s and conservationists who share a supporting conservation philosophy join hands in this matter. We spend time bickering amongst ourselves about ?ego issues? rather than tackling the task collectively at hand. For those passionate about true wilderness this is a threat not only to that which is deeply important to us but to the generations that follow who are not likely to share that which already rapidly diminishing at a rate faster than we can control.
Posted by Mario du Plessis on 07 November 2012 at 07:39
I agree with Ron Thomson. What you said Ron, is not general knowledge to all. Please let me know when you want to put such a team together. I want to participate. It is time that we, South Africans, stand up to IFAW & the Professor Rudi van Aaarde?s.
Posted by D.J.Swan on 07 November 2012 at 07:18
Daar gaan nog 'n paradys in die drein af. Ons weet almal wat die engelse spreek wword se: "If it pays, it stays"
Wie het die Okovango tot 'n toeriste aantreklikeid ontwikkel? Defnitief nie die regering nie, maar wel daardie manne wat die safarie blokke bestuur het. Hoe lank gaan die stuktuur bly staan? Weens 'n onverantwoordelike dom besluit het die regering reeds 'n groot probleem geskep met die bevordering van werkloosheid en die daar stel van 'n "kleinhuisie" vol wilddiewe wat nie meer werk het nie, en ook geen verdere heenkome het nie.
Tipies swart afrika mentaliteit.
Posted by marcel on 07 November 2012 at 07:09
swak besluit vir botswana maar positief vir rsa boere aangesien n persentasie van botswana se jagters nou voortaan in rsa sal kom jag
Posted by Dr Francois du Toit on 07 November 2012 at 06:50
I am dumbstruck! Lunacy is doings the same thing over and over and expecting a different result. Has no learning taken place regarding hunting? He only has to look to South Africa where wildlife is thriving, not because, but in spite of Government (recent failure to contribute to rhino poaching presentations embarrassment).
Posted by Ron Thomson on 07 November 2012 at 06:43
Let nobody be dissolutioned about this development. It has been on the cards for several years. It comes as a result of President Ian Khama associating with animal rightists such as the well-known wildlife video-maker Dereck Joubert and the anti-wildlife management and pro-animal rights 'fellow-traveller' Professor Rudi van Aarde (Pretoria University) - who is largely responsible for the no-elephant culling policy in Botswana. It has come about, also, because those of us who have known that the wildlife management programmes in Botswana were animal-rights orienated - and are wrong for ANY game reserve - did nothing about them. We must look back at ourselves and say to ourselves: "WHY DID WE NOT MOTIVATE THE PEOPLE OF BOTSWANA INTO THE REALISATION THAT WHAT WAS GOING WRONG WAS GOING TO DESTROY THE LOCAL ECOSYSTEMS - AND IT WILL ULTIMATELY DESTROY TOURISM, TOO. THERE IS NO POINT IN TRYING TO PERSUADE KHAMA HIMSELF BECAUSE HE IS ALREADY HOOKED ONTO THE ANIMAL RIGHTS BAND WAGON. SO BOTSWANA'S BIOLOGICAL DIVERSITY IS DOOMED TO DESTRUCTION. LETS JUST MAKE SURE THAT THE SAME THING DOES NOT HAPPEN IN SOUTH AFRICA.... AND LET US NOT FORGET THAT PTOFESSOR RUDI VAN AARDE, SPONSORRED BY THE BIGGEST ANIMAL RIGHTS ORGANISATION IN THE WORLD - IFAW - IS ONE OF THOSE PROFESSORS WHO IS ALSO PRINCIPLALLY RESPONSIBLE FOR THE POLICY OF NO-INTERVENTION IN THE ELEPHANT POPULATION IN KRUGER. KRUGER IS GOING THE SAME WAY AS BOTSWANA - WHOSE GAME RESERVES WILL SOON BE A DESERT. LET US NOT LET THIS HAPPEN HERE. PLEASE. IT IS ABOUT TIME WE FIELDED A TEAM TO OPPOSE THE ANIMAL RIGHTISTS' WAR "FOR THE HEARTS AND MINDS OF SOUTH AFRICANS". WE HAVE ALLOWED THEM FREE REIN TO DO AS THEY HAVE LIKED ON THE OPEN PLAYING FIELDS IN SOUTH AFRICA - WITH NO OPPOSITION - FOR FAR TOO LONG. IT IS TIME TO FIELD SUCH A TEAM - AND TO BEAT THESE NEFARIOUS PEOPLE AT THEIR OWN GAME. IF WE DON'T, VERY SOON, IFAW AND VAN AARDE AND THEIR ILK WILL BE DOING THE SAME IN SOUTH AFRICA AS HAS HAPPENED IN BOTSWANA. AND WHEN THAT HAPPENS WE MUSTN'T CRY CROCODILE TEARS.
Kenya?s game population has declined by how much since hunting was banned there? Some sources say 70% others 90% and others a more modest 60%.
I suspect that there is a pretty good chance that Botswana will eventually go the same way if all hunting is banned there. It is unclear if hunting will also be banned on private game farms. I have no idea how much land in Botswana is in private hands but if it is substantial, and if hunting is allowed to continue there, then there is at least some hope ? for the time being.
Let the poaching begin. Who can begrudge the local communities that were benefitting from hunting on public land if they now start poaching?
This terrible decision by the Botswana Govt is just another small step toward banning hunting here as well and undoing our conservation successes. Be assured that almost every bit of animal rights propaganda will now refer to ?bold, progressive and necessary steps taken by the Botswana govt ?? and when used enough (and particularly if their new angle goes unchallenged) the minds of neutral decision and policy makers in SA will slowly be poisoned.
As hunting and other animal use industries we continue to make comparatively small peeps here and there against what is happening. Ron Thompson has called for this before and I think it makes sense: a well funded association of animal use industries and real conservation bodies making a big noise will be able to achieve much more in the fight against the animal rightists than an uncoordinated and fragmented effort from individual bodies.
http://www.pacificbreeze353.com/newslet ... 49&langu=1
Botswana Bans Hunting
06 Nov 2012
Botswana?s president Ian Khama has announced that the government will no longer issue licenses for hunting wild animals in the country.
In a progressive move to protect the country?s natural heritage and the tourism industry, he said that the government of Botswana, through the Environment and Wildlife Ministry, would stop issuing hunting licenses as of next year.
In the address to locals in Maun (the spring-board town to the popular Okavango Delta), Khama said that the issuing of hunting licenses has fuelled poaching in the country and prevented the tourism industry from growing sustainably and significantly.
The Okavango Delta, home to a remarkable diversity of animals, plants and birds, attracts thousands of visitors from around the world each year. It?s Africa?s largest wetland wilderness.
Hunting concessions are currently operated within the delta, as well as in the Central Kalahari Game Reserve further south.
Khama made clear that tourism is increasingly important for Botswana and contributes at least 12 percent to the overall GDP of the country.
?Our wildlife control measure through issuance of hunting licenses has reached its limit,? said Khama.
Comments:
Posted by Lutz Otto on 07 November 2012 at 07:43
For those who have a true interest in conservation, sustainable utilisation and hunting ? This should not be news and our local apathy towards this threat could very well lead us in the same direction. This threat is real and live ? And contrary to sometimes popular opinion this same threat is not only an ?Africa thing? but global.
We have fantastic success story?s of local national parks and a relatively thriving game industry but this does not detract from the fact that that hunting in South Africa is under constant threat from not only animal rightists but also from the government, lack of global conservation understanding, consumerism, corruption, exponentially growing human population as well as locally impoverished communities. There is a strong and threatening undercurrent constantly at play which too many chose to ignore.
With regards the local communities they in many instances see far too little benefit from the ?sustainable utilisation principles? and if they did, this latter group in particular could become our allies through there seeing greater benefit from wildlife. Besides the threatening ?van Aardes? of the world these poverty fuelled communities next to all of our game farms, national and provincial parks see these places as the domain of rich people who have the time to drive around and ?lovingly look at animals? whereas they see the animals as either nyama or a threat to their meagre livelihoods. The latter statement holds true, amongst others, for our world famous Kruger Park.
There is a naivety, ignorance or perhaps ostrich syndrome, amongst many about the status of true conservation ? Locally and globally. We really should focus on empowering ourselves with deeper understanding too allow us to tackling these challenges more proactively.
It is long overdue that hunters, field guides, the game rangers association, IUCN styled NGO?s and conservationists who share a supporting conservation philosophy join hands in this matter. We spend time bickering amongst ourselves about ?ego issues? rather than tackling the task collectively at hand. For those passionate about true wilderness this is a threat not only to that which is deeply important to us but to the generations that follow who are not likely to share that which already rapidly diminishing at a rate faster than we can control.
Posted by Mario du Plessis on 07 November 2012 at 07:39
I agree with Ron Thomson. What you said Ron, is not general knowledge to all. Please let me know when you want to put such a team together. I want to participate. It is time that we, South Africans, stand up to IFAW & the Professor Rudi van Aaarde?s.
Posted by D.J.Swan on 07 November 2012 at 07:18
Daar gaan nog 'n paradys in die drein af. Ons weet almal wat die engelse spreek wword se: "If it pays, it stays"
Wie het die Okovango tot 'n toeriste aantreklikeid ontwikkel? Defnitief nie die regering nie, maar wel daardie manne wat die safarie blokke bestuur het. Hoe lank gaan die stuktuur bly staan? Weens 'n onverantwoordelike dom besluit het die regering reeds 'n groot probleem geskep met die bevordering van werkloosheid en die daar stel van 'n "kleinhuisie" vol wilddiewe wat nie meer werk het nie, en ook geen verdere heenkome het nie.
Tipies swart afrika mentaliteit.
Posted by marcel on 07 November 2012 at 07:09
swak besluit vir botswana maar positief vir rsa boere aangesien n persentasie van botswana se jagters nou voortaan in rsa sal kom jag
Posted by Dr Francois du Toit on 07 November 2012 at 06:50
I am dumbstruck! Lunacy is doings the same thing over and over and expecting a different result. Has no learning taken place regarding hunting? He only has to look to South Africa where wildlife is thriving, not because, but in spite of Government (recent failure to contribute to rhino poaching presentations embarrassment).
Posted by Ron Thomson on 07 November 2012 at 06:43
Let nobody be dissolutioned about this development. It has been on the cards for several years. It comes as a result of President Ian Khama associating with animal rightists such as the well-known wildlife video-maker Dereck Joubert and the anti-wildlife management and pro-animal rights 'fellow-traveller' Professor Rudi van Aarde (Pretoria University) - who is largely responsible for the no-elephant culling policy in Botswana. It has come about, also, because those of us who have known that the wildlife management programmes in Botswana were animal-rights orienated - and are wrong for ANY game reserve - did nothing about them. We must look back at ourselves and say to ourselves: "WHY DID WE NOT MOTIVATE THE PEOPLE OF BOTSWANA INTO THE REALISATION THAT WHAT WAS GOING WRONG WAS GOING TO DESTROY THE LOCAL ECOSYSTEMS - AND IT WILL ULTIMATELY DESTROY TOURISM, TOO. THERE IS NO POINT IN TRYING TO PERSUADE KHAMA HIMSELF BECAUSE HE IS ALREADY HOOKED ONTO THE ANIMAL RIGHTS BAND WAGON. SO BOTSWANA'S BIOLOGICAL DIVERSITY IS DOOMED TO DESTRUCTION. LETS JUST MAKE SURE THAT THE SAME THING DOES NOT HAPPEN IN SOUTH AFRICA.... AND LET US NOT FORGET THAT PTOFESSOR RUDI VAN AARDE, SPONSORRED BY THE BIGGEST ANIMAL RIGHTS ORGANISATION IN THE WORLD - IFAW - IS ONE OF THOSE PROFESSORS WHO IS ALSO PRINCIPLALLY RESPONSIBLE FOR THE POLICY OF NO-INTERVENTION IN THE ELEPHANT POPULATION IN KRUGER. KRUGER IS GOING THE SAME WAY AS BOTSWANA - WHOSE GAME RESERVES WILL SOON BE A DESERT. LET US NOT LET THIS HAPPEN HERE. PLEASE. IT IS ABOUT TIME WE FIELDED A TEAM TO OPPOSE THE ANIMAL RIGHTISTS' WAR "FOR THE HEARTS AND MINDS OF SOUTH AFRICANS". WE HAVE ALLOWED THEM FREE REIN TO DO AS THEY HAVE LIKED ON THE OPEN PLAYING FIELDS IN SOUTH AFRICA - WITH NO OPPOSITION - FOR FAR TOO LONG. IT IS TIME TO FIELD SUCH A TEAM - AND TO BEAT THESE NEFARIOUS PEOPLE AT THEIR OWN GAME. IF WE DON'T, VERY SOON, IFAW AND VAN AARDE AND THEIR ILK WILL BE DOING THE SAME IN SOUTH AFRICA AS HAS HAPPENED IN BOTSWANA. AND WHEN THAT HAPPENS WE MUSTN'T CRY CROCODILE TEARS.
