British authority and influence in southern African countries is ‘as bad as in the Zulu Wars’ says one commentator. The reason? The UK government wants to enact a ban on trophy imports, throwing the whole basis for wildlife conservation in Namibia, South Africa, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Tanzania, Mozambique and other countries into doubt.
As the people of Botswana march through the streets of the capital Gaberone to protest against the UK government, the message is clear: Botswana’s wildlife numbers are stable and reintroducing the hunting ban could lead to a rise in poaching, as previously witnessed.
Botswana, under former president Ian Khama, placed a moratorium on hunting in 2014. The ban was lifted by his successor, Mokgweetsi Masisi, in 2019.
Reported in VOA News, one of the organizers of the march, Poniso Shamukuni, said that if the measure passes in Westminster, it will negatively impact livelihoods of communities living side-by-side with wildlife in Botswana. His country has the world’s largest elephant population at more than 130,000, and the giant animals are often in conflict with humans.
“We implore your government to carefully consider the implications of enacting the Hunting Trophies (Import Prohibition) bill. Such a decision could have far-reaching negative consequences on wildlife populations, exacerbate human-wildlife conflicts, undermine conservation efforts, and impact the livelihoods and well-being of communities residing in wildlife areas,” said Shamukuni.
Source link : https://www.fieldsportschannel.tv/africans-protest-against-uk-trophy-hunting-import-ban-bill/
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Publish date : 2024-03-13 07:00:00
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