The hunting ban which started on 1 January, 2014 has been described as another management tool that is needed to reverse the worrying trend of declining numbers of wild animals in the country over the past years.
Chief Executive of Kalahari Conservation Society, Felix Monggae, said a similar exercise has been carried out around the world in instances where it was felt that the numbers of wild animals were declining.
“We are not the first country to ban hunting of wild animals. It has been done in other countries around the world where wild animal population was declining at worrying numbers,” he said.
Monggae said the Community Development Trusts have expressed concern on the ban.
He however concurred that photographic tourism would not make more money as was the case with hunting but added that some of the Trusts have agreed on the new arrangement whilst others have not saying that it was their right to do so.
Botswana government has indefinitely stopped issuing hunting licenses although there has not been any scientific study to suggest that dwindling animal population is a result of hunting.
“They are entitled to their thoughts but the findings were made after scientific researches in the areas,” he said.
The ban applies to elephants whose population has been rising drastically and Monggae said they would not like the ban to be discriminatory.
Besides banning hunting in the country, the government this week announced that exporting of live wild animals was also banned.
