Game fund faces declining revenues

Despite collecting N$13.7 million in funds, of which N$11 million came from trophy hunting last year, the Game Product Trust Fund is still beset by massive challenges. The total amount generated last year showed a decline of N$2 million in comparison with 2016, when the trust received N$15.3 million, of which N$13 million came from trophy hunting.Tourism minister Pohamba Shifeta said the trust has faced several challenges over the past years, which relate to a reduction in the inflow of cash into its coffers, due to a slowdown in global economic activities and the growing demand for funding, because of limited funding opportunities elsewhere. He said other major challenges included an increase in human-wildlife conflict, which demanded more funding, as well as the consistent threat of poaching.“The fund needs more money and we have to devise strategies to get it to sustain our environment,” Shifeta said.He made these remarks during the inauguration of the fund's new board members.The fund was established in 1997 and has since 2012 reinvested close to N$100 million into conservation in Namibia. Shifeta said the bulk of these funds were spent on projects and activities aimed at wildlife protection and management, anti-poaching initiatives, wildlife research, studies and surveys, the development and protection of water infrastructure, support towards the management of human-wildlife conflict and the human-wildlife conflict self-reliance scheme.The fund was established with the mandate to collect revenue from wildlife and wildlife products recovered on state land and to reinvest this into wildlife conservation and rural development programmes in Namibia.The aim of the fund is to make grants available to emerging conservancies and wildlife councils for the purpose of implementing and maintaining projects and programmes approved by the board, in consultation with the tourism ministry, regarding wildlife conservation and management and rural development. It also allocates funds, subject to the provision of the Game Products Trust Fund Act, to conservancies, wildlife, councils and protected areas and to persons, organisations and institutions approved by the minister to be used in connection with projects and programmes regarding wildlife conservation and management and rural development. The fund is annually capitalised with funds collected from the sale of hunting concessions, the removal of problem animals, head levies on the live export of animals and the live auctioning of game/wildlife, as well as grants and donations.According to its annual report for the period April 2016 to February 2018, trophy hunting concessions were its most important source of income, with close to 90% of the income coming this activity during the period under review. The trophy hunting concessions received from existing concessions were valued at N$16.7 million and the sale of hunts at the Dallas Safari Club Convention in the US totalled N$8.3 million. The ministry was the biggest recipient of funding, receiving 25.6 million, while conservancies and rural communities received N$6.4 million. Luisa Mupetami, from the tourism ministry, was re-elected as the chairperson of the board, while the other members are Taina Nankela from the finance ministry, Dr Johannes Shoopala from agriculture ministry, Asser Ujaha from the Kunene Regional Community Conservancy Association and Richard Nyambe from the Zambezi Natural Resource Management Association. ELLANIE SMIT

Game fund faces declining revenues

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Namibian Sun 2025-04-04

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Game fund faces declining revenues

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Namibian Sun 2025-04-04

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