The Hunting Indaba is the first such dialogue between the Department of Environmental Affairs and the hunting community of South Africa and will create a platform for dialogue regarding hunting and its role and contribution to conservation, transformation and economic growth. Hunting is a popular sport in South Africa and the Indaba is an important event that will bolster the contribution of the hunting sector to the conservation successes and the economic growth of the wildlife sector in South Africa.
The Indaba was used as an opportunity to engage with the hunting industry and other government entities to create a platform for discussions, and it will hopefully lead to the strategic interventions required to strengthen the contribution of the sector. It is anticipated that through these engagements, government and the industry will unpack issues such as strengthening the contribution to conservation, provision of incentives, assistance to small business enterprises, transformation of the hunting industry, involvement of communities in hunting, and mechanisms and interventions required to develop the full potential of the hunting industry and maximise benefits arising from this industry.
The Indaba focused on four key thematic areas, namely ecological and economic impact and contribution of the sector; involvement of communities in hunting and transformation; hunting in protected areas and buffer zones; and legislative challenges. In terms of each thematic area, the Indaba discussed the successes, the challenges, areas that require interventions to ensure sustainability and to reduce potential negative impacts, and opportunities that can be explored to strengthen the contribution of the sector.
The hunting industry makes an important contribution to the economy, with local and trophy hunters contributing nearly R1 billion to the national economy during 2010. These contributions are based on only a small portion of the activities in the sector and the overall contribution is, therefore, considerably higher. This economic contribution is linked to contributions to the conservation of species, with the game farming industry in South Africa contributing to increased numbers of scarce game species on private land. The hunting industry also contributes significantly to tourism development, job creation and sustainable development, especially in rural areas.
The Indaba also considered the potential impact of hunting on biodiversity, noting that it could have a profound effect on the landscape and its biodiversity. While excessive and unregulated hunting may lead to a loss of game, a change in land use and corresponding loss of habitat and biodiversity, well managed systems with sustainable off-take levels can contribute to the conservation of species and landscapes.
Where areas are managed for intensive utilisation through hunting, practices such as restocking game populations, introducing new, alien species for hunting, or artificially increasing natural densities of game through fencing or food provision may also have a potentially large impact on landscapes, habitats and species. These practices, therefore, require management interventions to ensure long term sustainability.
The government supports and promotes ethical and responsible hunting that is conducted in an ecologically sustainable manner that contributes to conservation of species and the ecosystems in which they occur. This pledge by government was echoed by Molewa, who stated that she is committed to strengthening and improving the relationship between her department and the hunting sector.
