eBusiness Weekly
Martin Kadzere
In yet another blow for the country’s wildlife industry, Britain is considering banning hunted trophies, just a few weeks after the US House Natural Resources Committee passed the Cecil Act, which also seeks to stop trophies from Africa.
According to media reports from Britain, hunters would be prohibited to take hunted trophies back to the UK from Africa. Britain and United States of America accounts for about 80 percent of the market for hunted trophies from Africa.
British minister for International Wildlife, Zac Goldsmith recently said: “The fight against trophy hunting of endangered animals’ matters. It is clear that it is morally indefensible and that is why I am delighted that the Conservative government will consult on a ban on the import of these trophies. By placing a higher value on animals alive rather than dead, we will begin to turn back the tide of extinction.”
The Cecil Act being pushed by the US is apparently motivated by the killing of Cecil the Lion outside Hwange National Park in Matabeleland North province.
The Act, also known as the Conserving Ecosystems by Ceasing the Importation of hunted Animal Trophies Act, now awaits for a vote in the US House of Representatives.
An American dentist Walter Palmer grabbed global news headlines after killing Cecil the Lion. Its death sparked heated debate and outrage around the world.
Goldsmith said he was confident the push for the ban would be welcomed.
“That, I know, is going to be widely welcomed because such vast numbers of people do care about this, particularly when you see Cecil the lion-type horror stories or celebrity hunter Melissa Bannerman smirking and gloating over the body of a dead giraffe.
“I look at those photos and it turns my stomach. I will never be able to understand on any level why anybody would pay money to shoot a giraffe. It’s an extraordinary thing to want to do, particularly given we are in the midst of an extinction crisis.”
Intense lobbying
Emmanuel Fundira, the chairman of Zimbabwe Safari Operators Association told Business Weekly that what was required as matter of urgency was to set up a task force comprising of wildlife experts and Members of Parliament tasked with the “urgent assignment of lobbying” through SADC and African Union collectively.
“Again this is the time to begin the onslaught and hit the ground running,” Fundira said.
“Both countries (the UK and US) are going for elections and therefore seeking populist and emotional support from the gullible electorate,” he added.
He, however, noted little had been done to lobby against the move.
“As private sector we took advantage of the Environment and Tourism Budget hearing with the Parliamentary Committee and there is a huge knowledge and awareness gap between the two parties and rightly so the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee chair has requested industry to hold a workshop soonest but alas time is not on our side.”
Socio economic impact
For Zimbabwe, Fundira said the social and economic impact is drastic as more than 800 000 families depend directly and indirectly on wildlife utilisation.
“Wildlife use has provided a healthy safety net for the marginalised rural communities whose livelihoods depend on this resource,” he said.
“It is reported that up to 1,7 million animal remains leave their native area following trophy hunts; and most end up in the US.
According to British media reports, a staggering 20 000 trophies have crossed into Britain over the past 10 years — showing a 10-fold increase than a decade before.
Fulton Mangwanya, the director of Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority, in an article published in Washington Examiner recently said it was disappointing that some US lawmakers were focused on legislation rooted in unrealistic ideologies that would disempower the Government and local communities.
He said banning the importation of trophies from Zimbabwe would not contribute in any way to the conservation of ecosystems. In fact, it would have the opposite effect.
“Lawmakers who don’t believe this inconvenient truth are welcome to come visit us in Zimbabwe and see for themselves,” said Mangwanya.
“I would personally welcome them to our national parks that are endowed with diverse wildlife resources and our local communities that live with wildlife so that they can share the successes and challenges of living with such iconic and yet dangerous wildlife species.”
