Government encourages photo safaris
Botswana will not ban hunting
(eTN) - In a Mmegi article the other week it was quoted that Botswana was to ban hunting. This is not the case according to an official response from the Botswana government.
The Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Environment, Wildlife, and Tourism would like to clarify that there is no decision made to ban wildlife hunting. Instead, what is being done is to encourage photographic tourism and gradually limit but not ban wildlife hunting. It must be known that species with declining numbers will be considered for limited hunting, while those with increasing numbers like elephants, will continue to be hunted within CITES framework.
On July 13 & 14, 2011, the Ministry and other stakeholders organized a two-day training workshop for local media practitioners on poverty and environmental reporting. It was at this workshop that the Ministry spokesperson highlighted the benefits of photographic tourism to community trusts in the country as compared to just issuing hunting quotes during a discussion on Community Based Resource National Management (CBNRM). But there was no reference to a hunting ban. Unfortunately, he was quoted out of context.
In conclusion, the Ministry stated that the Botswana government has no plan to ban hunting in the country and wants to assure all hunting safari companies and affected communities that live near wildlife management areas who continue to benefit from hunting.
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