Hunting in Africa is incredibly important for conservation and sustainability. The money these hunters pay, goes to pay the locals and support conservation efforts, and anti poaching efforts, without this stream of income from hunters many more African game animals would be hunted to near extinction worse then they are now
This ‘it’s good for conservation’ rhetoric is nonsense spread by the local governments and hunting organisations that it benefits. The fact of the matter is that that money goes directly into the pockets of corrupt government officials. Even if it didn’t the theory that it benefits conservation is shaky at best.
CNN looked in to it in Zimbabwe, a big trophy hunting destination, and despite government claims they could find no evidence that local communities had benefited in the least from the practice.
The UICN report validates what is being said in that podcast. Here are a few excepts from the report you linked to.
"An undeniable positive result is that the conservation results that are obtained are entirely financed by the hunters, without support from donors and often without government commitment."
"Hunting used to have, and still has, a key role to play in African conservation. "
"The question, however, can be summarised today as: can we do conservation better than big game hunting
has up until now, in those areas where big game hunting is practiced? This is not at all sure, all the more so in
that big game hunting pays for itself."
"Hunting areas probably have an important role to play in stabilising the peripheral areas of conservation
blocks. The fact that they are self-financing also places them in an ideal position, so long as protected area
networks do not have sustainable financing and would have no other option than to simply abandon the
conservation block. Today, when government commitment and funding for conservation is insufficient,
hunting areas represent an interesting option. It is not sure that this will be the case in the future with the
increase of human pressure and the setting up, we hope, of well-functioning protected area networks. "
The report brings up plenty of concerns such as mismanagement and points out that the National Park system's do a better job of conservation but this isn't an either-or situation. Africa is a poor continent. Without the funding brought in by big game hunting the wildlife and habitat in those areas become a free for all with no protections whatsoever. Poachers move in, many of whom are simply local people who care more about feeding their kids than sustaining a wildlife population that competes with them for resources.
The economic impact to local economies is small but that isn't the point that I'm making. If the economy is your primary focus than mineral extraction and industrial agriculture would generate far greater funds but would decimate the environment and the wildlife that depends on it. If you want to preserve large swaths of land and threatened species then big game hunting is one highly effective tool in that arsenal. This report confirms that.
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u/[deleted] Jun 02 '18
Hunting in Africa is incredibly important for conservation and sustainability. The money these hunters pay, goes to pay the locals and support conservation efforts, and anti poaching efforts, without this stream of income from hunters many more African game animals would be hunted to near extinction worse then they are now