21 Dec 2020

Ministry of Environment, Natural Resources Conservation and Tourism, through the Department of Wildlife and National Parks, will continue to monitor the impact of hunting on the elephant population and will accordingly adjust quotas.

When answering a question in Parliament, Minister of Environment, Natural Resources Conservation and Tourism, Ms Philda Kereng explained that the hunting quotas for wildlife species in general including elephants was based on a number of factors including, among, others, their population, demography, distribution and densities.

She said currently the country had 400 elephants available through CITES export quota and elephants were also available on quota for citizens.

“In response to increasing elephant problem reports as a consequence of an expanding distribution, Government has introduced a special elephant quota within human/elephant hotspot areas,” she said.

Ms Kerekang further highlighted that while in theory, an elephant population the size of the country would be able to support higher quotas, consideration had to be given to several factors before it could happen.

She said such factors included the ability of hunters to utilise the quota within the declared hunting season, the availability of professional hunters to escort hunts and the capacity of the Department of Wildlife and National Parks to supervise and monitor hunters in all elephant hunting areas.

She highlighted that the ministry would also be guided by the Elephant Management Plan and its stated objectives when setting quotas for the different wildlife management areas.

“Furthermore, my ministry, through the Department of Wildlife and National Parks, will continue to monitor the impact of hunting on the elephant population and will accordingly adjust quotas,” she said,.

She also indicated that consideration would be given to sustainable use of elephants in areas of high conflict.

To this end, Ms Kereng said her ministry had initiated discussion with key stakeholders such as the Botswana Wildlife Producers Association with a view to developing modalities for profitable utilisation of animals causing damage inside cattle ranches, communal areas under syndicate management and game ranches.

Ms Kereng was responding to a question from MP for Selebei Phikwe East, Mr Kgoberego Nkawana, who had asked the minister if she would consider increasing the hunting quota for elephants given their high numbers in the country. 

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