29 Jul 2020

Minister of Environmental, Natural Resources Conservation and Tourism, Ms Philda Kereng has told Parliament on Tuesday that the lifting of the hunting ban has allowed communities to directly benefit by selling their quotas to international hunters who are willing to pay a premium to hunt animals.

She said the ban lifting would also enable communities to derive revenues which could  also be used for the community development adding that employment would also be created for escorts guides and skinners among others.

Ms Kereng further told Parliament that P28 million had been raised from the 2020 hunting quota allocated to the communities.

She said the hunting quota was not intended to reduce numbers of elephants.

“Safe methods of control of elephants include the provision of water in wildlife areas to deter elephants from moving into human populated areas in search of water, digging of shallow trenches and use of spikes to protect water installations,” she said.

Ms Kereng further pointed out that the construction of elephants proof fences had also proven to be useful in keeping elephants away provided they were well maintained.

The Member of Parliament for Nkange, Dr Never Tshabang had asked the minister to state how the lifting of the hunting ban would benefit the rural communities and if she was aware that the quota was not adequate to reduce the number of troublesome elephants in arable lands.

He also wanted to know other safe methods available to effectively remove the elephants from arable lands. ENDS