Consumptive Hunting: A Shared Heritage of the Peoples of South Africa

Consumptive Hunting: A Shared Heritage of the Peoples of South Africa

Members of Hunting Association are focussed on hunting, of what is referred to as furred game and/or feathered game. Furred game hunting with rifles, handguns and bows, and feathered game (gamebirds) with shotguns (also known as wingshooting)

There are 29 Hunting Associations in South Africa The majority of these are focussed on membership of hunters in a specific region or Province, while three have members nationally. Membership of a Hunting Association is voluntary

The Hunting Associations with a national membership-base are: SA Hunters National Hunting & Shooting Association SA Wingshooters

22 of the 29 Hunting Associations are formed into what is known as the Confederation of Hunting Associations of South Africa. CHASA

There are a number of hunting associations on Provincial level; i.e. KwaZulu-Natal Hunters Lowveld Hunters Cape Hunters

The administration of the majority of hunting associations is done by volunteers, while the national associations and CHASA plus a few of the associations on provincial-level have formal administrative offices with dedicated personnel. A very important fact is that the majority of hunting associations have the phrase; hunting and conservation association in their name. Thus denoting the high importance of the principle of sustainable utilisation, which all hunting associations support and underwrite.

In the context of conservation through sustainable use it also important to note that all Hunting Associations underwrite the principle of Ethical Hunting, which hinges on four very important concepts: Respect for Life Respect for Nature Respect for Law Respect for Fellow Hunters and Land Owners

In-house, the main focus of all Hunting Associations inter alia fall on: Hunter training Hunting firearm training Veld / Bush shooting skills enhancement Hunting species & Field knowledge training Carcass use, and game meat preparation Trophy preparation for delivery to the taxidermist Generating and retaining hunting opportunities Conservation projects & programmes Community outreach and enrichment

On a national level, the 3 National Associations and CHASA actively participate in: The Wildlife Forum (Sustainable use & Regulatory oriented DEA + 9 Provinces) HAWASA (Hunting and Wildlife Associations of South Africa) The Hunters Forum (with SAPS re the implementation of the Firearms Control Act)

The Hunters Forum was established in September 2004 and consists of the current 11 SAPS accredited hunting associations, plus the Professional Hunters Association of South Africa (PHASA). As a collective, the Hunters Forum represents more than 83,000 legal firearm owners.

The members of Hunting Associations are all consumptive hunters, with a main focus on hunting for meat from there then the reference to them as a collective, as biltong-hunters. Based on calculations made from annual hunting firearm, hunting ammunition, and additional hunting kit sales, it is estimated that there are approximately 380,000 hunters in this country. Approximately 83,000 hunters belong to Hunting Associations.

As such hunting associations are thus the formalized pool of potential clients for the other parts of the hunting sector in this country, who are focused on doing the business of hunting in a sustainable manner (i.e. WRSA). As principle support base for game ranching in all its forms, hunting associations thus have a clear role to fulfil in a responsible contribution to the economic and ecological sustainability of the hunting and wildlife sector as a whole.

hunting is An important legacy of the cultural heritage of all the people of this country

our common heritage Young Zulu hunters Harry Wolhuter San hunters The famous Frederick Courteney Selous

still practiced by our people today

An important legacy of the cultural heritage of all the people of this country hunting is One of the drivers of a sector with a huge economic impact in this country

...a driver and major contributor to the socio-economic impact of a large national economic sector......economic impact of hunting shown through ongoing research conducted by the University of the North West and by the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University...

Firearm industry R150 mil (+licences) Local hunters R3,1 billion Foreign hunters R1,2 billion Consumables / Books / Medical R200 mil Game auctions / sales R900 mil Infrastructure / vehicles R100 mil Labour R1,6 billion Investment in > 9,600 exempted game farms R20 billion Lodges & tourism R100 mil Bow hunting R100 mil Birding R100 mil Wingshooting R400 mil Taxidermy export & local R300 mil Translocation R130 mil Provincial Permits R20 mil representing a R8,2 billion sector of the economy

The Modern South African hunter is a conservationist at heart, is commercially and career-wise successful, and technologically well educated, and urbanised. Has a balanced approach to green issues, is environmentally conservative and conscious with a serious need to escape to the bush.

Very much the same can be said of the foreign hunter, with the added element of an individual who has the financial capacity to venture on an event of a life time

Yet South Africa is not the preferred African hunting destination for foreign hunters?...despite it being the most biologically diverse country in Africa, and the only country to span the width of the continent;...despite it offering the greatest variety of terrain and habitat resulting in the greatest variety of hunting experiences and huntable species;...despite it being the only African country presenting the Big Five, Tiny Ten, and high profile endemic species like bontebok, grysbok, mountain zebra, and grey rheebok...the result of present sets of Regulations have to a large extent, made these advantages to be of little value.

An important legacy of the cultural heritage of all the people of this country hunting is A responsible commitment to conservation and applicable research One of the drivers of a sector with a huge economic impact in this country

HUNTING ASSOCIATIONS AND CONSERVATION: EFFORT AND IMPACT CHASA PHASA SAHGCA

Involvement with Conservation Conservation projects (among others) : Quagga Breeding project Oribi re-stocking project - Gauteng & KwaZulu-Natal Blue Crane project in the Southern Cape Region Black footed cat conservation - Karoo Grey Rheebok project - West Coast National Park

Involvement with Conservation Conservation projects: Sungazer conservation - Mpumalanga Oxpecker conservation - Limpopo Owl and Bat conservation - Gauteng Reptile conservation - Phalaborwa Conservation of Riverine rabbit karoo Small game conservation in conjunction with prevention of Jackal damage in central karoo.

Involvement with Conservation Hands-on conservation involvement (among others) : Addressing the threat of cross breeding of Mallard duck with endemic waterfowl; Opposing the breeding of UK s ring necked pheasant for hunting purposes in SA; Propagating the danger of cross breeding between wild and domesticated Guineafowl; Addressing impacts caused by declared invader plants and eradication of same;

Involvement with Conservation Contribution through funding of research (among others) : R15,000 Roan research project R15,000 Cape Mountain Zebra research project R25,000 De Wildt Cheetah programme R24,000 Elephant research along Limpopo River R30,000 Leopard research Waterberg R34,000 UNW research on hunting industry R12,000 / annum bursaries @ TUT conservation 5yrs

Involvement with Conservation Direct financial contribution to conservation: R150,000 donated to Conservation Force (USA) R380,000 funding of rhino conservation projects R900,000 contribution leveraged from foreign hunters for wildlife research projects R2,3 million on at least 44 small scale conservation projects on local level nationally (past 2 years).

An important legacy of the cultural heritage of all the people of this country An innovative contributor to socio-economic rural development hunting is A responsible commitment to conservation and applicable research One of the drivers of an sector with a huge economic impact in this country

Involvement in Rural Development BBEEE Focussed Projects KZN Hunters Association (communities & land restitution): Ngome Community at Bambatha s Kraal Boschhoek Trust at Kameelkop Conservation support and guidance; Transferring of skills; Ensuring sustainability of projects; Managing and monitor hunting activities; Game counts; Booking and management of hunts and training. Income generated over 5 years = R4 million

Involvement in Rural Development BBEEE Focussed Projects PHASA skills transfer and training programme >R50,000 for PH training for specifically HDSAs with assistance in placement in industry R5 million in 3 years towards the training of conservationists in Southern Africa through SA Wildlife College

Skills transfer & training (ventures creation) Field Guide (hunting) and carcas & meat processing courses

A significant contributor to an under-utilised tourism opportunity An important legacy of the cultural heritage of all the people of this country An innovative contributor to socio-economic rural development hunting is A responsible commitment to conservation and applicable research One of the drivers of an sector with a huge economic impact in this country

Hunting Tourism Involvement in Tourism Local hunters make a significant contribution through accommodation on game ranches where they hunt and so support the rural hospitality trade Local hunters R3,1 billion Foreign hunters R1,2 billion

Hunting Tourism Involvement in Tourism However; PHASA is a lone player in the marketing of huntingtourism on the international market despite them also contributing to promoting SA as tourism destination in general This in stark contrast with NAMIBIA where government, tourism, their airline, and their hunting industry work hand in hand to promote hunting-tourism in that country.

A significant contributor to an under- utilised tourism opportunity A responsible commitment to the industry and the administration thereof An important legacy of the cultural heritage of all the people of this country An innovative contributor to socio-economic rural development hunting is A responsible commitment to conservation and applicable research One of the drivers of an sector with a huge economic impact in this country

Hunting Associations have been, and are, absolutely committed to the process implied by the Wildlife Forum since its inception Commitment to Conservation in a national context Hunting Associations carried the cost of approximately R300,000 for attending all sessions of the initial Wildlife Forum meetings and subsequent compilation of the Norms & Standards for the Hunting Sector, and a further R250,000 to the recent Bio-diversity LAB s activities.

Commitment to Conservation in a national context Hunting Associations and their attending members incur an accumulative cost of approximately R45,000 to attend every single meeting of the Wildlife Forum Hunting Associations incurred costs of more than R100,000 in their commitment to cleaning out the industry, through implementation of their codes of conduct and disciplinary procedures (time, effort and funds spent pa.)

Hunting Associations and the consumptive hunters of this country can thus in all sincerity proclaim, that despite their members forming a large part of the support pool of the business oriented side of the wildlife sector in this country;

A significant contributor to an under- utilised tourism opportunity A responsible commitment to the sector and the administration thereof An important legacy of the cultural heritage of all the people of this country hunting and hunters are An innovative contributor to socio-economic rural development A responsible commitment to conservation and applicable research One of the drivers of a sector with a huge economic impact in this country