NAPHA Addresses Proposed Trophy Import Restrictions in France
As the Namibia Professional Hunting Association, we have addressed the French Government regarding proposed measures to further restrict the importation of legally acquired hunting trophies from countries such as Namibia.
While we fully support efforts to combat illegal wildlife trade, poaching and unsustainable wildlife use, we believe that policies intended to protect African wildlife must be based on sound science, measurable conservation outcomes and an understanding of the realities on the ground.
Namibia has built a conservation model in which wildlife must have tangible value for the people who live alongside it. Conservation hunting forms part of this model, contributing to rural employment, community income, food security and the financing of wildlife management and conservation activities. It also complements photographic tourism, particularly in remote and arid areas where conventional tourism is not always economically viable.
The impact of import restrictions also extends beyond individual CITES-listed species. International hunters pursuing these species frequently hunt common plains game during the same safari and contribute to a much wider tourism and conservation economy.
We therefore call for Namibia and other African range states to be meaningfully included in decisions that affect the management and economic value of their wildlife. We have asked France to consider not only the intention behind the proposed restrictions, but also their practical conservation and socio-economic consequences.
Our objective is ultimately the same: to conserve wildlife for future generations. Achieving this requires cooperation with the countries and communities that live with and conserve that wildlife.
Read our full statement here:
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