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A new video released by The Economist breaks down the intricacies of “trophy hunting” and the role it plays in supporting wildlife conservation and human livelihoods across Africa.
While the issues covered in this video may seem familiar to those working in this field, The Economist does an excellent job of explaining the finer details of international hunting to a broader audience.
They first give an overview of the current state of wildlife management in Africa, including the major encompassing threat of habitat loss (driven by urbanisation and the conversion of land for agriculture) and the lack of state funding available in African countries for conservation.
“Trophy hunting,” or international hunting, is mentioned as a wildlife management tool that involves sustainably taking off individual animals to generate benefits for wildlife conservation, anti-poaching, human livelihoods and more.
The community based natural resource management model in particular was highlighted, in which communities are able to manage and benefit from the wildlife on their own lands; in this context, incentivisation was stressed as a key factor in getting communities engaged in conservation.
The video also touched upon the importance of supporting well-managed hunting programs, such as those seen in Namibia, in order to recreate the successes we have often seen through this method of wildlife utilisation.
In terms of alternatives to international hunting, the narrator explains how photo-tourism (commonly talked about as a possible replacement for hunting activities) is simply not viable in all areas. In many cases, this leaves “trophy hunting” as the only way for rural communities to support themselves.
Furthermore, The Economist addresses the recent trend in which countries (such as the United States and the United Kingdom) have looked to introduce bans on “trophy hunting” and the trade of hunting trophies. In response to this, they stressed that blanket bans are not the solution to Africa’s wildlife conservation problems.
They conclude with the following statement, which does a good job of summarising the state of international hunting today:
“While trophy hunting is no silver bullet, taking this conservation tool off the table, with no viable alternative, will place millions of acres of habitat and the species that rely on it at risk.”
The CIC congratulates The Economist for producing a clear and concise video which accurately portrays the facts and science related to “trophy hunting.” We would strongly encourage you to watch the full video, which delves deeper into the topics mentioned above.