Tcheku Community Trust has pleaded with the European Union (EU) Heads of Mission to support Botswana’s sustainable trophy hunting policy on the global stage and reject proposals for them to ban the import of trophy hunting.
Recently animal rights and nature protection NGOs, members of the European Parliament, and conservation experts called on EU to ban the import of trophy hunting. UK is currently seeking to introduce the law which will ban British hunters from brining hunting trophies from African countries.
In November last year the proposal to restrict trade in live elephants was rejected at the CITES meeting. The proposal which was brought forward by Burkina Faso and other Western Africa States received 59 votes against it, 44 in favor whilst 13 abstained. The proposal meant that SADC member states would not trade in any elephant specimens.
European Union Heads of Missions EU Ambassador to Botswana and SADC Petra Pereyra, Ambassador of Germany Margit Hellwig-Boette, and Ambassador of France Olivier Brochenin recently met with the CBOs in Ngamiland to discuss wildlife management, tourism and natural resource management.
Speaking at the meeting Tcheku Trust acting public relations officer Tebogo James indicated that there is need for trophy hunting as communities benefit from its profits adding that it has also brought developments and job creation within most marginalized communities.
He indicated that the ban on the import of trophy hunting will negatively affect the economic status of local communities benefiting from hunting adding that it will also contribute to rampant illegal hunting and increased human wildlife conflict.
“The ban will not only affect the economy but conservation of wild animals will also be at stake as communities will not see the need to conserve the animals since they do not benefit from them,” James said.
He further pleaded with the EU delegates to assist the region with funding on mitigation of human wildlife conflicts that threatens food security and wildlife conservation in the Okavango District.
