Trophy Hunting, Conservation, and Rural Development in Zimbabwe: Issues, Options, and Implications

Abstract

Trophy hunting has potential to support conservation financing and contribute towards rural development. We conducted a systematic review of the Zimbabwean trophy hunting perspective spanning from pre-1890 to 2015, by examining the following: (1) evolution of legal instruments, administration, and governance of trophy hunting, (2) significance of trophy hunting in conservation financing and rural development, and (3) key challenges, emerging issues in trophy hunting industry, and future interventions. Our review shows that (i) there has been a constant evolution in the policies related to trophy hunting and conservation in Zimbabwe as driven by local and international needs; (ii) trophy hunting providing incentives for wildlife conservation (e.g., law enforcement and habitat protection) and rural communities' development. Emerging issues that may affect trophy hunting include illegal hunting, inadequate monitoring systems, and hunting bans. We conclude that trophy hunting is still relevant in wildlife conservation and rural communities' development especially in developing economies where conservation financing is inadequate due to fiscal constraints. We recommend the promotion of net conservation benefits for positive conservation efforts and use of wildlife conservation credits for the opportunity costs associated with reducing trophy hunting off-take levels and promoting nonconsumptive wildlife use options.

Killing nature to save it? : an analysis of two sport hunting policy arrangements in Uganda

“…Sport hunting has been and still is subject to a number of closely related debates. First, scholars have widely debated the extent to which sport hunting implementation purportedly can contribute to addressing the conservation and development challenges (Adams;Barrett et al, 2011;Berkes, 2004;Di Minin et al, 2016;Gibson & Marks, 1995;Hulme & Murphree, 2001; Lewis & Alpert, 1997;Lindsey et al, 2006;2007ab;Muposhi et al, 2016;Van der Duim, 2010, Van der Duim et al 2011). These debates are especially heated when they are about areas where wildlife conservation (or sport hunting) is in competition with human demand for arable land, settlement and commercialisation (Adams, 2004;Czech, 2000;Emerton, 1999;Kareiva et al, 2011;Pooley et al, 2015;Rands et al, 2010).…”

“…These debates are especially heated when they are about areas where wildlife conservation (or sport hunting) is in competition with human demand for arable land, settlement and commercialisation (Adams, 2004;Czech, 2000;Emerton, 1999;Kareiva et al, 2011;Pooley et al, 2015;Rands et al, 2010). The proponents of sport hunting argue that it is an important tourism segment for most Southern and Eastern African countries (Lewis & Alpert, 1997; which attracts thousands of tourists, mainly from the United States and Europe (Lindsey et al, 2007), and potentially encourages local participation and sharing of benefits (Archabald & Naughton-Treves, 2001;Di Minin et al, 2016;Lewis & Alpert, 1997;Lindsey et al, 2006;Mariki, 2013;Muposhi et al, 2016). Although earlier studies estimated that sport hunting generated a total of about US$ 201 million of revenue annually continent-wide (see Booth, 2010;Lindsey et al, 2006;, in a study commissioned by Safari Club International (SCI) (although contested, see Murray, 2017), it is estimated that sport hunting contributes about US$ 426 million to the GDP of Botswana, Ethiopia, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe put together (Southwick, 2015).…”

“…Hofer, 2002) have also argued that revenue generated from sport hunting is often used to directly finance conservation activities of the African government conservation agencies (Hofer, 2002). Others (e.g., Lindsey et al, 2007;Muposhi et al, 2016) furthermore argue that the local communities who usually receive sport hunting benefits are more likely to report poachers in their communities, and/or work as wildlife scouts themselves, thereby increasing the chances of wildlife survival in Africa.…”

“…Uganda has reintroduced it in 2001. Kenya (although still maintaining hunting for birds) and Botswana (although now considering to reintroduce it again), banned sport hunting while at the same time promoting photography tourism as a source of income for local communities (Muposhi et al, 2016).…”

“…Currently, sport hunting advocates (e.g. Yasuda, 2011;Booth, 2017) argue that local communities around protected areas are able and willing to sustainably manage and use wildlife (while at the same time abandoning poaching), especially when they share in the income and meat from legally hunted animals (Muposhi et al, 2016). They say that hunting operators can promote anti-poaching campaigns by integrating (former) poachers in conservation programmes as village scouts (Lindsey et al, 2007).…”