Concerns On Predators Aren’t Honest
I AM writing in response to the letter from ‘Concerned Namibian’ (The Namibian 6.8.10 on ‘People and Predators’).
The writer does not actually come across as concerned. Concern seeks to find a way forward whereas this letter, while raising some valid points, offers no constructive solutions either for the local people or for the lions. It also ignores the efforts of the Namibian government via MET to manage a very complex situation and it defames Dr Flip Stander by suggesting that he is in cahoots with the tourist industry.
Desert Lion Conservation is an entirely independent charity and anyone who has had any contact with Dr Stander knows how nonsensical the letter’s claim is. Dr Stander is too busy protecting lions and also protecting local people by translocating lions to answer this claim, which is frankly libellous.
The Desert Lions are the only group surviving in the wild in the world. There are roughly 130 left. There has been a marked decline in numbers of males since 2005. This decline is due, almost entirely, to the killing of male lions by people. Local people killed 15 male lions (including 6 adults) in protection of their livestock and 11 male lions (including 8 adults) were selectively shot for trophy hunting. Several of the pride groups are currently without a resident male lion. This is a critical situation. Namibia, but also the whole world, is facing the potential loss of these wild lions.
MET has gained admiration across the world for its work in setting up conservancies and working for solutions that are viable for both local people and wildlife. Their model has been followed in many countries.
However, because of the critical drop in numbers of male lions, this is clearly a time and also an opportunity for reassessment, finding new ways forward and formulating new policies at government level. At present, local conservancies gain some revenue from issuing quotas for trophy hunting which benefits the local communities. There is no doubt that if trophy hunting of male lions continues given the present numbers there is only a slim chance of the lion population surviving.
There needs to be a moratorium on trophy hunting, for at least the next few years and this cannot be achieved at the expense of the local communities. A new developed strategy, one that could still benefit the local people, could be that equivalent payment could be made to withhold a permit for trophy hunting. Ways of compensating local people for killing of their livestock by lions also needs revisiting.
All parties interested in a sustainable future for the Desert Lions need to get together with the Ministry for a new and funded strategy and work out how it would operate in practice.
Sally Weintrobe
Via e-mail