Botswana lifts ban on elephant hunting
Botswana plans to open elephants to hunting again: a ban on elephant hunting is being lifted after just five years.
The elephant population has now grown large enough and is affecting agriculture, the Ministry of Environment in Gaborone announced on Wednesday. The decision is nevertheless likely to draw criticism from conservation groups.
The hunting of elephants in the southern African country had only been banned in 2014 under then-President Ian Khama. Last year, his successor Mokgweetsi Masisi took office – and within a few months, a review of the decision was underway.
«Conflicts between humans and elephants»
The experts consulted had spoken in favor of lifting the ban, the Ministry of Environment added. The authority cited a growing number of «conflicts between humans and elephants» and their impact on farmers’ incomes as justification.
Botswana has the largest elephant population in Africa, with around 135’000 animals. Some experts even estimate more than 160’000 individuals — nearly three times as many as 30 years ago. The animals live in unfenced nature reserves and also encroach on farmers’ fields, causing damage. The lifting of the hunting ban is likely to win the ruling Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) additional votes in the October parliamentary elections, particularly in rural areas.
Even though elephant numbers have increased in some parts of Africa, the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) reports that the overall population has fallen by around 110’000 to 415’000 over the past decade.
The wildlife conservation organisation Pro Wildlife comments on the planned lifting of the hunting ban in Botswana:
"We deeply regret that the government of Botswana has announced it will lift the hunting ban that has been in place since 2014. Trophy hunting of protected species will primarily serve to enrich a handful of hunting operators. There is demonstrable evidence that it neither contributes to poverty reduction nor is it a suitable means of reducing supposedly excessive wildlife populations. The new President of Botswana's campaign to stir up sentiment against elephants and other wildlife appears to be aimed at winning votes in the October elections."
Pro Wildlife spokesperson Daniela Freyer.
The government cites as reasons for lifting the hunting ban, which has been in place since 2014, allegedly growing conflicts between smallholder farmers and animals, as well as the need to generate income for the rural population.
Under its former President Ian Khama, Botswana was regarded as a pioneer in wildlife conservation. "Botswana's greatest asset is its wealth of nature and animals, and we urge the government not to gamble with this. Elephants and other wildlife must not be allowed to become political pawns", said Freyer. «Safari tourism is an increasingly important source of revenue and overall generates significantly more money and jobs than big-game hunting or the trade in elephant meat and ivory", said Freyer. According to information from the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), safari tourism in Botswana creates 39 times more jobs than big-game hunting — across the entire country, only 1,000 people earned a living from hunting in 2009. In the lead-up to the decision, the government had sought advice from trophy hunters and had primarily consulted communities where hunting was previously permitted. Communities that benefit from tourism and the growing tourism sector were apparently left out of the process.
Botswana's new government does not only want to lift the hunting ban. It is also currently working with three neighbouring states to overturn the international ivory trade ban that has been in place since 2008. "It is disastrous that Botswana, once a model student in species conservation, now wants to put a price tag on its endangered species", said Freyer.
Botswana is home to the world's largest elephant population, with approximately 130,000 animals. The savanna elephant population has declined by 30 percent over seven years; in Botswana, the figure was 15 percent over five years. In the past, populations in southern Africa were considered stable and spared from the poaching crisis. However, various scientific reports have documented a rise in poaching and illegal ivory trade in recent years, including in northern Botswana. In August 2018, reports by the organization “Elephants Without Borders” about the poaching of at least 88 elephants caused worldwide outrage. In the meantime, these findings were verified by renowned experts. President Masisi had vehemently denied the reports at the time; his authorities revoked the organization's research licenses and attempted to prohibit it from disseminating the poaching reports.
Various scientific studies on lions also demonstrate the devastating impact of big-game hunting. In Botswana too, it has historically led to a collapse in lion populations. For this reason, lion hunting has been banned there (with one interruption) since 2001. “Across Africa, wildlife populations of large mammals are in sharp decline. Against this backdrop, the reintroduction of hunting is irresponsible, says Freyer. « It also remains unclear how Botswana's government intends to ensure the “ethical hunting” it has announced. Shooting animals purely out of a desire for trophies is entirely devoid of ethics — under German animal welfare law, this is illegal. Furthermore, corruption and mismanagement have dominated Africa's hunting industry for decades, Freyer concludes.
