Shifeta plans to ban hunting photos
The tourism industry will bear the brunt of international outrage over photos of dead lions on Facebook, the environment minister has warned.
Namibia has already started feeling the backlash from photos posted on social media of farmers gloating over dead lions that they killed illegally.
Environment minister Pohamba Shifeta has confirmed to Namibian Sun that none of the six lions killed by farmers in the Omusati Region had been declared “problem animals”.
Following the outcry over these photos, the environment ministry wants to ban these types of photos from being circulated on social media.
Shifeta said he had issued a directive that photos displaying people posing with the carcasses of wild animals should not be allowed to be posted on social media. He said the ministry intended to make this a law.
Shifeta said the ministry did not even allow trophy hunters to post photos of them posing with carcasses on social media and therefore photos of illegally hunted animals could not be allowed either.
“I am disappointed in the attitude of these men posing with the lions and boasting after the killing. That is very uncivilised. Such attitudes have very serious and negative consequences for the tourism industry and discredit Namibia's good name and programme of conservation,” the minister said.
He said the ignorance of these individuals might have a serious impact on Namibia's economy, since wildlife was one of the country's main tourist attractions.
“Just one foolish guy can tarnish Namibia's name and have a huge impact on the economy. I am already receiving calls from the international community asking why Namibia is doing this. People are pointing fingers at Namibia, not at an individual.”
He continued to say that serious steps would be taken against the farmers who had shot the lions.
According to him police and ministry officials are already investigating the killings.
Shifeta described the killing of six lions in recent weeks as illegal hunting, since none of these lions had been declared problem animals.
“I am the only one that can declare an animal as a problem animal and there was never such a request made.”
He said the investigations would establish whether there was any immediate threat to people or livestock when the lions were shot.
The minister said if these lions had been declared problem animals, they could have been shot by trophy hunters and the money could have gone to a conservancy. “It is not that we refuse to declare an animal as a problem animal, but with a trophy hunter this money could have helped the communities.”
He said a lion could be sold to a hunter for about N$200 000.
ELLANIE SMIT
Environment minister Pohamba Shifeta has confirmed to Namibian Sun that none of the six lions killed by farmers in the Omusati Region had been declared “problem animals”.
Following the outcry over these photos, the environment ministry wants to ban these types of photos from being circulated on social media.
Shifeta said he had issued a directive that photos displaying people posing with the carcasses of wild animals should not be allowed to be posted on social media. He said the ministry intended to make this a law.
Shifeta said the ministry did not even allow trophy hunters to post photos of them posing with carcasses on social media and therefore photos of illegally hunted animals could not be allowed either.
“I am disappointed in the attitude of these men posing with the lions and boasting after the killing. That is very uncivilised. Such attitudes have very serious and negative consequences for the tourism industry and discredit Namibia's good name and programme of conservation,” the minister said.
He said the ignorance of these individuals might have a serious impact on Namibia's economy, since wildlife was one of the country's main tourist attractions.
“Just one foolish guy can tarnish Namibia's name and have a huge impact on the economy. I am already receiving calls from the international community asking why Namibia is doing this. People are pointing fingers at Namibia, not at an individual.”
He continued to say that serious steps would be taken against the farmers who had shot the lions.
According to him police and ministry officials are already investigating the killings.
Shifeta described the killing of six lions in recent weeks as illegal hunting, since none of these lions had been declared problem animals.
“I am the only one that can declare an animal as a problem animal and there was never such a request made.”
He said the investigations would establish whether there was any immediate threat to people or livestock when the lions were shot.
The minister said if these lions had been declared problem animals, they could have been shot by trophy hunters and the money could have gone to a conservancy. “It is not that we refuse to declare an animal as a problem animal, but with a trophy hunter this money could have helped the communities.”
He said a lion could be sold to a hunter for about N$200 000.
ELLANIE SMIT
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