Hospitality and Tourism Association of Botswana (HATAB) whose membership includes leading photographic tourism companies have thrown its weight behind Governments trophy hunting policy.
HATAB chairman Joe Motse made this revelation when delivering welcome remarks during the annual HATAB Annual General Meeting in Maun recently.
Motse stated: ‘’as HATAB we would like the nation, the media and everyone to understand that we support controlled hunting as a means of conservation.’’
Motse explained that their support on fact that photographic tourism and hunting have traditionally coexisted as conservation strategy in Botswana. Botswana has had both hunting and photographic concessions. where we do not mix the two because we do control and responsible hunting’ he explained.
Further Motse said HATAB is available at any time when needed by Government for support on ongoing global lobbying for trophy hunting.
Speaking during HATAB AGM, Boatametse Modukanele acting permanent secretary in Ministry of Environment and Tourism explained that a proposed ban on the importation of hunting trophies in European countries could be disastrous to conservation and community livelihoods.
Modukanele added that his ministry is in the process of setting up a multi stakeholder team to drive the Government continued lobby of the against banning import trophies.
Modukanele explained ‘’ we recently visited UK a delegation is in London, United Kingdom to lobby the country on the impact of import ban of legally hunted wildlife trophies. The engagement strategy aims to create global awareness of hunting as important conservation tool and Botswana’s conservation successes.’’