NGAMILAND COMMUNITIES STATEMENT ON SAFARI HUNTING IN BOTSWANA

Posted by Botswana Safari News on March 07, 2019 | No comments

STATEMENT ON SAFARI HUNTING IN BOTSWANA

By

Community-Based Organisations as represented by Ngamiland Council Of Non-Govermental Organisations

1.0   Introduction

1.1        Community-Based Organization (CBO) as represented by NCONGO would like to appreciate the handing over of the Hunting Ban Consultative Report to His Excellency the President of the Republic of Botswana by the cabinet sub-committee led by Minister Hon. Frans Van Der Westhuizen.

1.2        CBOs would like to support the recommendations by the Cabinet Sub-committee that conservation Hunting should be re-introduced in Botswana. The re-introduction of hunting will go a long way in alleviating rural poverty by re-introducing tourism benefits lost in 2014 when the hunting moratorium was initiated. Hunting will also mitigate against human wildlife conflicts especially crop damage, livestock predation and the destruction of property especially by elephants. Elephants are causing deaths to our people and have injured many. As a result, the hunting of elephants will result in these animals relocating from human settlements to far away protected areas where they are meant to live.    

1.3        Community Based Organizations (CBO) calls for the strengthening of the Community-Based Natural Resource Management (CBNRM) programme in Botswana. It is our strongest believe that the CBNRM programme is one approach that can result in meaningful tourism benefits to communities not only through hunting but through other tourism development projects.  

1.4        As communities, we do not take kindly to those who are attacking our Government and all initiatives meant to re-introduce hunting and uplift our livelihoods and reduce human wildlife conflicts in our local areas. It is believed that Botswana is a sovereign state and we have a right to discuss and decide on issues which directly affect our livelihoods and well-being. This is said in reference to the elephant distribution and populations which are threatening food security and lives in our local areas.

1.5        Finally, we would like to encourage the international community to financial support conservation initiatives in Botswana especially the management of elephants such that they be reduced to carrying capacity levels and have them managed away from human settlements.