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2. Inclusive biodiversity conservation and the unsustainability of ‘sustainable use’
- Author:
- Ross Harvey
- Publication Date:
- 06-2024
- Content Type:
- Policy Brief
- Institution:
- Good Governance Africa (GGA)
- Abstract:
- The South African Government’s Reviewed National Biodiversity Economy Strategy (2024) continues to promote trophy hunting as a conservation tool. This policy briefing challenges this approach, arguing that trophy hunting, particularly of endangered species, should be removed from the national biodiversity strategy due to overstated economic benefits and high ecological costs. Instead, the briefing suggests exploring sustainable, non-consumptive alternatives to trophy hunting. Successful pilot programmes should be expanded, integrating local communities into ecotourism and conservation-enhancing agriculture. This strategy aims to join fragmented landscapes into larger, ecologically sustainable areas, providing sustainable livelihoods while conserving biodiversity. Moreover, the current focus on consumptive use, such as game ranching and trophy hunting, needs re-evaluation. This philosophy creates unrealistic revenue expectations and promotes fundamentally unsustainable practices. The briefing emphasises the need to prioritise ecological sustainability over consumptive use, aligning with the constitutional duty to protect the environment for future generations. These recommendations are based on the analysis that the economic value of trophy hunting is often inflated and that the opportunity costs are significant. Non-consumptive alternatives can better support both conservation and community livelihoods, ensuring a genuinely inclusive conservation strategy.
- Topic:
- Conservation, Sustainability, Hunting, and Biodiversity
- Political Geography:
- Africa and South Africa