A First for Limpopo Parks

BuaNews (Pretoria)

June 2, 2004

Dirk Nel
Polokwane

The Limpopo Tourism and Parks Board has announced its first trophy and public hunting programmes, to ensure the sustainable management of nature reserves in the province.

Professional hunting outfitters and the general public have been invited to participate in a tendering process, in order to gain access to the packages on offer.

The board's offices at Gateway International Airport in Polokwane have received a number of inquiries regarding documentation for tender applications, a process that closes this Friday.

"The Board has been charged with the responsibility of managing 53 provincial reserves of various sizes, which are of tourism value and biological importance; this mandate calls for the use of sound environmental, economical and social sustainability principles", General Manager of Parks Fixon Hlungwane pointed out yesterday.

"Hunting, for the purpose of controlling game numbers, is one of several legitimate management tools available to the Board, and therefore certain species have to be culled to restrict their numbers, in order to protect the vegetation and general environment of nature reserves against over-utilisation," he explained.

Hunting fees, levied for the privilege of shooting a limited percentage of certain game species, would be ploughed back into conservation management and the upgrading of infrastructure in the nature reserves concerned, Mr Hlungwane added.

In a statement, the Board said it was pleased to report that legal hunters were among the most ardent conservationists in the country, as they were obliged to protect game, in order to sustain their own industry.

In this respect, 60 percent of South Africa's foreign revenue from trophy hunting was currently generated in Limpopo, where there were scores of registered hunting outfitters, who hosted a large number of foreign hunters each year.

In the public hunting category, 38 packages, involving 222 head of excess game, are available.

Trophy hunters will be able to tender for ten hunting packages, involving 194 head of excess game.

The duration of the hunting concessions will be from 14 June to 30 September 2004.