Hunting contributes to conservancies
Trophy hunting contributed N$30.5 million to the returns of communal conservancies in 2017.
Joint-venture tourism and trophy hunting generate the largest portions of conservancy returns.
Joint-venture tourism contributed 57.9% of the total income to Namibia's conservancies during 2017, totalling N$68.2 million. This includes all cash income to conservancies.
Furthermore joint-venture tourism in-kind benefits to conservancies and their members totalled N$8.6 million (6.5%).
On the other hand trophy hunting contributed N$30.5 million to the returns of conservancies, which was 23% of their income and in-kind benefits. The meat received by conservancies from trophy hunting was valued at N$7.8 million (5.9%).
According to the 2017 State of Conservation in Namibia report, Namibia experienced a surge in tourism during the last few years, particularly in 2016 and 2017.
“While tourism has provided the greatest cash income to households, consumptive wildlife use, especially conservation hunting, has returned more cash directly to conservancies and provided more in-kind benefits, due to the increased value of game meat.
“However, their conservation value to Namibia may be significant, providing protected wildlife habitat that very often is spatially linked to other conservancies or conservation landscapes.”
According to the report joint-venture lodges are the engine of economic growth in communal areas which are suitable for tourism.
“They provide direct income to conservancies, which pay the salaries of game guards and management, and allocate benefits in cash or kind to conservancy members. Lodges, and to a lesser extent, camp sites, also employ conservancy staff and facilitate the sale of crafts.”
The report further says that trophy hunting, which targets only free-roaming species in natural habitats, is very important to Namibian conservation.
“Hunting is often criticised as having negative impacts on wildlife. However, conservation hunting utilises such an insignificant percentage of wildlife that it has no impact on overall populations.”
The report points out that most conservancies would not have been viable without wildlife use through hunting. Cash income from conservation hunting continues to provide critical finance to cover the costs of conservation activities, including anti-poaching patrols.
According to the report indigenous plant products contributed N$5.1 million (3,9%) to the returns of Namibia's conservancies, while the harvesting of game meat for own use was N$4.7 million (3.5%)
“Own-use harvesting of wildlife for meat is vital in reinforcing the importance of wildlife management as a central part of rural life, and is an important in-kind benefit,” says the report.
Apart from its nutritional value, game meat distribution strengthens local support for wildlife and conservancies, assisting people to see the link between wildlife and conservation in the form of a tangible benefit (meat) that is equitably shared.
Community-based tourism and other small and medium enterprises contributed N$1.7 million towards the returns of conservancies, while crafts contributed N$1.4 million and other hunting or game harvesting N$1.1 million.
Shoot-and-sell game harvesting contributed N$403 502 to conservancies and live game sales N$330 000.
“Shoot-and-sell is when game is sold to butcheries or other commercial outlets. However, this brings much lower returns than conservation hunting and live capture,” according to the report.
It says that over the years, returns to conservancies have increased steadily from just over N$500 000 in 1998 to over N$132 million of which almost N$56 million was in cash.
“Although this is an impressive figure, much of the related cash income is required to cover conservancy costs such as game guard salaries, vehicle operation and maintenance, and office expenses.”
Once these have been deducted there is often little left to provide meaningful benefits to members.
The report however pointed out that 21 out of all 84 conservancies (including the Kyaramacan Association) fail to generate cash income, either because they have not yet developed sufficient income generation capacity, or they have little potential to generate income from hunting or tourism.
ELLANIE SMIT
Joint-venture tourism contributed 57.9% of the total income to Namibia's conservancies during 2017, totalling N$68.2 million. This includes all cash income to conservancies.
Furthermore joint-venture tourism in-kind benefits to conservancies and their members totalled N$8.6 million (6.5%).
On the other hand trophy hunting contributed N$30.5 million to the returns of conservancies, which was 23% of their income and in-kind benefits. The meat received by conservancies from trophy hunting was valued at N$7.8 million (5.9%).
According to the 2017 State of Conservation in Namibia report, Namibia experienced a surge in tourism during the last few years, particularly in 2016 and 2017.
“While tourism has provided the greatest cash income to households, consumptive wildlife use, especially conservation hunting, has returned more cash directly to conservancies and provided more in-kind benefits, due to the increased value of game meat.
“However, their conservation value to Namibia may be significant, providing protected wildlife habitat that very often is spatially linked to other conservancies or conservation landscapes.”
According to the report joint-venture lodges are the engine of economic growth in communal areas which are suitable for tourism.
“They provide direct income to conservancies, which pay the salaries of game guards and management, and allocate benefits in cash or kind to conservancy members. Lodges, and to a lesser extent, camp sites, also employ conservancy staff and facilitate the sale of crafts.”
The report further says that trophy hunting, which targets only free-roaming species in natural habitats, is very important to Namibian conservation.
“Hunting is often criticised as having negative impacts on wildlife. However, conservation hunting utilises such an insignificant percentage of wildlife that it has no impact on overall populations.”
The report points out that most conservancies would not have been viable without wildlife use through hunting. Cash income from conservation hunting continues to provide critical finance to cover the costs of conservation activities, including anti-poaching patrols.
According to the report indigenous plant products contributed N$5.1 million (3,9%) to the returns of Namibia's conservancies, while the harvesting of game meat for own use was N$4.7 million (3.5%)
“Own-use harvesting of wildlife for meat is vital in reinforcing the importance of wildlife management as a central part of rural life, and is an important in-kind benefit,” says the report.
Apart from its nutritional value, game meat distribution strengthens local support for wildlife and conservancies, assisting people to see the link between wildlife and conservation in the form of a tangible benefit (meat) that is equitably shared.
Community-based tourism and other small and medium enterprises contributed N$1.7 million towards the returns of conservancies, while crafts contributed N$1.4 million and other hunting or game harvesting N$1.1 million.
Shoot-and-sell game harvesting contributed N$403 502 to conservancies and live game sales N$330 000.
“Shoot-and-sell is when game is sold to butcheries or other commercial outlets. However, this brings much lower returns than conservation hunting and live capture,” according to the report.
It says that over the years, returns to conservancies have increased steadily from just over N$500 000 in 1998 to over N$132 million of which almost N$56 million was in cash.
“Although this is an impressive figure, much of the related cash income is required to cover conservancy costs such as game guard salaries, vehicle operation and maintenance, and office expenses.”
Once these have been deducted there is often little left to provide meaningful benefits to members.
The report however pointed out that 21 out of all 84 conservancies (including the Kyaramacan Association) fail to generate cash income, either because they have not yet developed sufficient income generation capacity, or they have little potential to generate income from hunting or tourism.
ELLANIE SMIT
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