by Phil Phillips - Monday, June 13, 2016
Namibia is getting ready to make anti-hunters lose their minds—again. On March 8, the country announced it was putting a ban on all hunting bans. Now it is kicking off its promotion of hunting in its borders by auctioning off three black rhino tags.
For those not aware, Namibia has been auctioning off at least one black rhino tag per year since 2012. You may remember American hunter Corey Knowlton spent $350,000 for one of those tags at a Dallas Safari Club event in 2014—money that was to be poured directly into the conservation of remaining members of the black rhino herd. Knowlton was guided to and took a very aggressive bull that was beyond breeding age and was slated to be culled from the herd before it could damage or kill any of the other rhinos. He received more than a few death threats so it’s no surprise that anti-hunting extremists are busy spewing hatred and violence on Facebook with this latest announcement.
Chalk one up for Namibian officials who say they will continue to reject global calls for the banning of rhino hunting to prevent the loss of revenue for local conservation initiatives. In one story posted by AfricaNews.com, Ministry of Environment and Tourism spokesman Romeo Muyunda defended the sale of the tags, saying it was the right thing to do. “We have our own laws and we are doing nothing that violates these laws,” he said.
Tags will be registered with the Namibian Tourism Board. As the news spread, reports from the South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC News) promoted the fact that special 20 percent discounts will be given to companies that are at least 20 percent owned by “previously disadvantaged” Namibians. Businesses owned by previously disadvantaged Namibians who have attained the rank of Professional Hunter will receive a 10 percent discount.
Poaching Is Not Hunting
As for one of many reasons South Africa is weighing in, AfricaNews.com reports that nearly 1,200 rhinoceros have been slaughtered in the past year alone by poachers—violent criminals eager to serve the Asian market. Poaching is not hunting. For a few quick facts on this, click here.