The envisioned controversial trophy hunt of an aged male black rhinoceros in Namibia by an American hunter, Corey Knowlton, will go ahead once the 2014 hunting season is officially opened, despite widespread condemnation of the killing of the animal in the name of conservation.
This was this week revealed by the permanent secretary in the Ministry of Environment and Tourism (MET) Simeon Negumbo. Namibia’s annual hunting season commences in February until 30 November.
Knowlton bid N$3,7 million (US$350 000) for the permit auctioned by the Dallas Safari Club through the Namibian government tender in January 2014. The 35-year-old Dallas native is a hunting consultant for The Hunting Consortium, an international guide service. His history indicates that he has hunted more than 120 species around the world.
The ministry sold the hunting quota to the United States based Dallas Safari Club through a tender process in 2013, after the ministry was approached with a proposal to auction one black rhinoceros directly to foreign hunters. Negumbo said that the revenue generated will be re-invested to cover the costs of conservation-related programmes which are all costly. “In accordance with our laws, conservation of such animals is sustainable and it is required for the community to benefit for sustainably protecting the rhinoceros. When the community benefits through such activities, poaching will be discouraged and ultimately limited,” Negumbo opined.
Besides Knowlton’s hunt, Negumbo said government tendered out at N$1,8 million and N$2,1 million respectively, approved and witnessed the hunting of two other black rhinoceros by two Namibian companies in November 2013.
Trophy hunting on state land began in 2009, after the practice was approved by Cabinet and the UN Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES). Namibia’s trophy-hunting industry ranks third in Africa, after Tanzania and South Africa.
This was this week revealed by the permanent secretary in the Ministry of Environment and Tourism (MET) Simeon Negumbo. Namibia’s annual hunting season commences in February until 30 November.
Knowlton bid N$3,7 million (US$350 000) for the permit auctioned by the Dallas Safari Club through the Namibian government tender in January 2014. The 35-year-old Dallas native is a hunting consultant for The Hunting Consortium, an international guide service. His history indicates that he has hunted more than 120 species around the world.
The ministry sold the hunting quota to the United States based Dallas Safari Club through a tender process in 2013, after the ministry was approached with a proposal to auction one black rhinoceros directly to foreign hunters. Negumbo said that the revenue generated will be re-invested to cover the costs of conservation-related programmes which are all costly. “In accordance with our laws, conservation of such animals is sustainable and it is required for the community to benefit for sustainably protecting the rhinoceros. When the community benefits through such activities, poaching will be discouraged and ultimately limited,” Negumbo opined.
Besides Knowlton’s hunt, Negumbo said government tendered out at N$1,8 million and N$2,1 million respectively, approved and witnessed the hunting of two other black rhinoceros by two Namibian companies in November 2013.
Trophy hunting on state land began in 2009, after the practice was approved by Cabinet and the UN Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES). Namibia’s trophy-hunting industry ranks third in Africa, after Tanzania and South Africa.
No comments:
Post a Comment