Botswana has urged UK legislators to reconsider or modify a proposed bill that seeks to ban the importation of body parts from wild animals, such as elephant tusks, lion pelts, or zebra hides.
The potential legislation has significant implications for Botswana’s wildlife management efforts, according to the country’s Environment Minister, Philda Nani Kereng. Speaking on the BBC’s Africa Daily podcast, she said, “It affects our business at home, the business around governance of our wildlife resources.”
British MP Henry Smith explained that the bill aims to safeguard endangered species, expressing concerns about the origin of funds paid by trophy hunters for the killing of these animals.
However, Ms Kereng, who is heading a delegation to London to persuade MPs like Mr Smith, emphasised the necessity of consultation with the countries that would be most impacted by the proposed law. She extended an invitation to these MPs to visit Botswana to better understand the situation on the ground.
Botswana, home to a substantial elephant population, relies heavily on trophy hunting as a source of critical funding to assist communities living in proximity to wildlife. Ms Kereng asserted that hunting in Botswana is efficiently managed, with complete transparency on how funds are utilised and a proven record of preventing poaching.
“Over the past year, through the community hunting quota, the communities received about £2m ($2.6m) in one hunting season,” Ms Kereng shared. She warned that a rise in poaching activities could occur if the perceived value of wildlife is undermined, leading to a decrease in tolerance for these animals.
Polson Majaga, a Botswana MP accompanying the environment minister, underlined the importance of these funds for his 25,000 constituents, who often find themselves in conflict with wildlife across vast expanses. He said, “Amend it [the bill] so I can take care of my people.” Majaga elaborated that the revenue generated is employed to construct fences around farms and install solar lights.
Earlier in April, Botswana successfully rallied support from several member countries of the Convention on Endangered Species of Fauna and Wildlife (Cites), which oversees the trade, to vote against more stringent protections for elephants. This move effectively staved off a proposed ban on trophy hunting.
Image Credit: Nicole Wreyford on Unsplash
