By Emmanuel Koro
Johannesburg, 24 September 2019
We are not surprised that over the years, the Western animal rights groups together with their conveniently selected agents have continued to lie that because Southern African hunting communities are receiving as little as 3% benefits to the region’s hunting, this industry should therefore be banned in our region.
The Western animal rights group’s 3% insufficient benefits claim is based on the 2012 Humane Society International (U.S. animal rights group) commissioned Economists at Large Report.
The Humane Society International Report selfishly manipulated Vernon Booth’s 2010 report, which focused on safari operators’ 3.10% voluntary contributions to community development, which are in addition to the mandatory trophy fees, which anti-hunting groups conveniently ignore whenever they talk about the economic contribution of hunting.
On contrary, the hunting communities sign hunting contracts with safari hunting companies from which they are paid from 50% to 100% benefits.
But Western animal rights hell bent on banning hunting ignore these high percentage benefits and only talking about the insignificant 3% to justify a ban on hunting in SADC.
