Hunting season opens
The annual hunting season opens on 1 May and while it is one of the most important sectors in the country in terms of revenue and jobs, roleplayers have been warned to adhere to the rules.
Namibia’s hunting season will officially open next month on game-proofed commercial farms and conservancies.
The industry has been warned to comply with the rules and regulations within the sector that annually contributes millions to the economy.
The 2017 hunting season - which traditionally opens on 1 May - was marked with chaos after a notice to officially open the hunting season was submitted late for placement in the Government Gazette due to an administrative mistake.
This resulted in the unavailability of hunting permits for most of May in all the regions.
Environment minister Pohamba Shifeta warned farm owners, lessees of farms and conservancy committees to report back to the ministry after they provided a copy of the hunting permit to a hunter.
“Failure by farmers, lessees or committees to report back is an offence and punishable by law, and may lead to the refusal by the ministry to issue further permits to the relevant parties.”
Shifeta explained that a hunter must receive a white copy of the permit from the farm owner or other parties and they in turn must report back to the ministry’s permit office by returning a blue copy with the required information filled in.
He said the white copy of the permit is required for the transport and export of any venison procured from the hunt and must remain in the possession of the hunter.
Shifeta further said that hunting permits cannot be used to take trophies such as rhino horns out of Namibia. “No such export may take place without prior permission from the ministry.”
According to Shifeta, huntable game species may be hunted from 1 May to 31 August 2018 on commercial farms not less than 1 000 hectares which are enclosed with registered game-proof fences. During this period hunting can also take place on registered conservancies where quotas have been approved for huntable game.
Meanwhile game species can be hunted from 1 June to 31 July 2018 on commercial farms not less than 1 000 hectares in size which are enclosed with a normal livestock fence.
Shifeta however warned that international hunters will not be allowed to import any automatic firearm or handgun by into Namibia and that these firearms may not be used for hunting.
He said the importation of hunting rifles for game and shotguns for hunting birds will only be allowed on the presentation of a letter of invitation by the hunter from the farm owner, lessee or conservancy committee where the hunt will take place.
According to Shifeta there are prescribed limitations regarding the number of huntable game species that may be hunted by a single hunter on a commercial farm that is enclosed with a livestock fence during a hunting season.
These are the hunting of a total of three large game animals that may be hunted per hunter, a total of two large game animals and four small game animals, a total of one large game animals and eight small game animals or a total of 12 small game animals that may be hunted per hunter.
Large game species include kudu, Oryx and red hartebeest, while small game species consist of springbok and warthog.
“No person shall hunt more than one kudu during the hunting season,” said Shifeta.
These limitations are only for the commercial farms without a registered game-proof fence.
About N$450 million is generated from hunting every year. This excludes the net national income contribution made by the community-based natural resource management of about N$100 million of which hunting also plays a major role.
About 15 000 jobs are created from hunting in different categories such as profession hunters, hunting guides, skinners, trackers and others.
ELLANIE SMIT
The industry has been warned to comply with the rules and regulations within the sector that annually contributes millions to the economy.
The 2017 hunting season - which traditionally opens on 1 May - was marked with chaos after a notice to officially open the hunting season was submitted late for placement in the Government Gazette due to an administrative mistake.
This resulted in the unavailability of hunting permits for most of May in all the regions.
Environment minister Pohamba Shifeta warned farm owners, lessees of farms and conservancy committees to report back to the ministry after they provided a copy of the hunting permit to a hunter.
“Failure by farmers, lessees or committees to report back is an offence and punishable by law, and may lead to the refusal by the ministry to issue further permits to the relevant parties.”
Shifeta explained that a hunter must receive a white copy of the permit from the farm owner or other parties and they in turn must report back to the ministry’s permit office by returning a blue copy with the required information filled in.
He said the white copy of the permit is required for the transport and export of any venison procured from the hunt and must remain in the possession of the hunter.
Shifeta further said that hunting permits cannot be used to take trophies such as rhino horns out of Namibia. “No such export may take place without prior permission from the ministry.”
According to Shifeta, huntable game species may be hunted from 1 May to 31 August 2018 on commercial farms not less than 1 000 hectares which are enclosed with registered game-proof fences. During this period hunting can also take place on registered conservancies where quotas have been approved for huntable game.
Meanwhile game species can be hunted from 1 June to 31 July 2018 on commercial farms not less than 1 000 hectares in size which are enclosed with a normal livestock fence.
Shifeta however warned that international hunters will not be allowed to import any automatic firearm or handgun by into Namibia and that these firearms may not be used for hunting.
He said the importation of hunting rifles for game and shotguns for hunting birds will only be allowed on the presentation of a letter of invitation by the hunter from the farm owner, lessee or conservancy committee where the hunt will take place.
According to Shifeta there are prescribed limitations regarding the number of huntable game species that may be hunted by a single hunter on a commercial farm that is enclosed with a livestock fence during a hunting season.
These are the hunting of a total of three large game animals that may be hunted per hunter, a total of two large game animals and four small game animals, a total of one large game animals and eight small game animals or a total of 12 small game animals that may be hunted per hunter.
Large game species include kudu, Oryx and red hartebeest, while small game species consist of springbok and warthog.
“No person shall hunt more than one kudu during the hunting season,” said Shifeta.
These limitations are only for the commercial farms without a registered game-proof fence.
About N$450 million is generated from hunting every year. This excludes the net national income contribution made by the community-based natural resource management of about N$100 million of which hunting also plays a major role.
About 15 000 jobs are created from hunting in different categories such as profession hunters, hunting guides, skinners, trackers and others.
ELLANIE SMIT
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