The South African government will allocate trophy export quotas to pave the way for hunting black rhinos, elephants, and leopards for the first time in about six years, Bloomberg reported on Monday, February 9.
According to the agency, the decision by Minister of Forestry, Fisheries, and the Environment Willie Aucamp ends a stalemate that halted hunts valued at up to $350,000 each and caused turmoil in the country’s second-largest political party, the Democratic Alliance.
The quotas are considered by professional hunting and wildlife breeding associations to be essential to preserving the attractiveness of an industry valued at $2.7 billion. Without the possibility of exporting trophies, such as the elephant tusks of slaughtered animals, many foreign hunters have avoided the country.
Wildlife Ranching South Africa sued former Environment Minister Dion George, who was removed from office in November at the request of the Democratic Alliance, the party to which he belonged, for refusing to allocate the quotas.
George was replaced by Willie Aucamp, also of the Democratic Alliance, after several complaints were filed against him, including a lack of dialogue with the hunting industry regarding quotas.
Aucamp said in a government statement released on Friday (6) that it plans to authorize the export of trophies from 150 elephants, 12 black rhinos, and 11 leopards this year, maintaining the same quotas in 2027. The decision was put up for public consultation for 30 days, as required by law.
Hunting a black rhino in South Africa can cost up to $350,000, while a license to shoot an elephant ranges from $75,000 to $100,000, and a leopard hunt costs around $40,000.
The industry has lost up to $140.1 million as a result of this impasse, with the country ceding market share to regional competitors, WRSA executive director Richard York previously pointed out.
Animal rights activists and some conservationists oppose hunting, as all three species are endangered in some parts of Africa.
