Concerns over Labour Party’s proposed hunting Bill

Namibia stands to lose more than N$260m ($14.3m) annually in potential revenue from the hunting industry due to the decision by the UK's ruling Labour Party to implement an anti-trophy hunting Bill. The Namibian reports that it has been pushing a ban on importing hunting trophies to the UK, which has moved a step closer to becoming law with a vote by lawmakers. The Namibia Professional Hunting Association (Napha) has previously said trophy hunting accounts for about 3% of tourists to Namibia, but 20% of tourism revenue. Namibia's high commissioner to the UK, Linda Scott, said Namibia, together with other affected southern African countries – Botswana, SA, Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe – is disappointed with the Labour Party’s stance. ‘Such a Bill would certainly undermine the strong and positive contribution to communities in the region that environment conservation has made to the development of and to those communities, to tourism in those areas, and to conservation,’ she said.

Scott said the Labour Party has committed to consultation with affected countries in southern Africa to examine the vital role hunting revenue plays in funding conservation programmes, local communities and anti-poaching protections across southern Africa. ‘Namibia and other countries in the region which have a far better track record in conservation than much of Europe, emphasise that an anti-trophy hunting Bill would undermine the strong and positive contribution to those communities,’ she said. The Namibian notes that Environment Ministry spokesperson Romeo Muyunda on Tuesday said the proposed bans woulf potentially harm Namibia's conservation. ‘This development is astonishing and Namibia condemns such intentions and questions their basis,’ he said.