U.S.A. –-(Ammoland.com)- Public discussion of how trophy hunting fits into the wildlife situation in Africa has been triggered again with an editorial in Africa Geographic entitled: “Trophy hunting in Africa is in decline, and no longer pays its way.”
Such a suggestion is misleading at best. It does, however, demonstrate the need for a more complete understanding of the entire picture so that precious wildlife resources can be sustained in wild places now and into the future.
Wildlife in Africa has suffered tremendously and illegal criminal enterprises that commit poaching have benefitted greatly from the misguided efforts of anti-hunting eco-imperialists in other parts of the world.
In a speech to European officials, Michel Leonidas Mantheakis, Chairman of the Tanzania Hunting Operators Association, summed up the overall situation: “It is ironic that anti-hunting pressure resulted in the deaths by poaching of more elephants, lions and other wildlife than safari hunting ever has….A decision taken on wrong information can never be right. When emotion prevails you are bound to come to the wrong conclusions even if the information is right.”
Hunters, as conservationists, practice the sustainable use of wildlife resources. It hasn't been until recently that our message is being disseminated more broadly so that those interested in true conservation and effective wildlife management can understand the totality of the very complex issues involved.
Well-regulated trophy hunting helps wildlife and local economies, while attacks on hunting result in harm to the very animals that we all want to save.
Any decline of hunting in Africa is at least in part due to importation restrictions imposed by foreign governments. There are significant differences in conservation and economic benefits between countries like South Africa and Namibia that have strong hunting programs versus
