18 Mar 2019

 Government is yet to make a decision on recommendations of the Cabinet committee on hunting issues.

Minister of Environment, Natural Resources Conservation and Tourism, Mr Kitso Mokaila, said this when presenting the ministry’s proposed budget for 2019/2020.

He said the 2014 hunting ban was done without requisite consultation with Batswana and on the basis of that, a cabinet committee was appointed to have a dialogue with citizens on hunting issues.

Mr Mokaila indicated that it was anticipated that the outcome of the consultations coupled with results from the countrywide aerial survey of wildlife populations would inform decisions on whether to maintain the status quo or re-introduce controlled hunting.

He, however, said wildlife crime continued to be a challenge to the ministry’s efforts of conserving some of the country’s iconic species, adding that the number of rhinos poached in the wild and on private property had increased over the years.

“This disturbing trend will have to be reserved through increasing protection for rhino, elephants and other key species.

This will require a multi-pronged approach that included increased frontline protection as well as increased penalties for wildlife crime, engagements of countries which are destinations for illegal sourced wildlife and product and stepping up efforts to seize the proceeds of crime,” he said.

He noted that engagement of neighbouring countries through the established structures such as SADC, Okavango-Zambezi Trans Frontier would also demonstrate our regional resolve towards addressing the challenges.

Furthermore, Mr Mokaila highlighted that his ministry continued to promote sustainable utilisation of forest resources for the benefit of Batswana, while practicing acceptable conversation measures.

As such, he said, since April to October 2018, a total of 11 385 Batswana were engaged in the harvesting and utilisation of veldt products and the revenue accruing to such activities amounted to P2.3 million which greatly contributed to improvement in their livelihoods.

The minister pointed out that his ministry had initiatives geared towards environment protection and conservation, with some of the initiatives geared towards ensuring a clean and safe environment, including improvement of the legislative framework, compliance to environmental statutes as well as forging partnerships and collaborations with stakeholders in the waste management and environmental sectors.

According to the minister, in an effort to facilitate the ease of doing business in Botswana, the Environmental Asssessment Act of 2010 was currently under review, and the draft bill was still under consideration within government, while the ministry would also engage stakeholders.ENDS