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Displaying the 15 latest comments.
Submitted | first-name | support | concern | top-concern | message |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2026-04-16 03:57:47 +02:00 | Janet human | No I do not | All of the above | Tourism Impact | |
2026-04-16 00:17:21 +02:00 | Reichardt | Yes I do | No concern, I Support the Gazette | Use what we have and manage it properly. | |
2026-04-15 15:57:23 +02:00 | Dominique | No I do not | All of the above | Ethical Considerations | My primary concern is ethical. I do not believe that wildlife, particularly vulnerable or endangered species, should be killed for sport or as trophies. Hunting, in my view, should be limited to purposes of sustenance, not recreation. I am also concerned about whether the economic benefits of trophy hunting meaningfully reach conservation efforts and local communities, as well as the potential long-term impacts on animal populations and ecosystems. South Africa’s wildlife is a global asset, and its protection should prioritise conservation, biodiversity, and ethical stewardship over commercial hunting interests. |
2026-04-15 15:43:03 +02:00 | Harm | No I do not | All of the above | Ethical Considerations | If you can't eat it, you don't shoot it. |
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- Conservation Funding: Trophy hunting generates significant, vital revenue that is directly reinvested into anti-poaching operations, habitat maintenance, and wildlife ranching programmes.
- Habitat Protection: Allowing a financial return on dangerous game incentivises private landowners to keep their land wild and populated with these species, rather than converting it to agriculture or commercial developments.
- Population Management: Targeted hunting acts as a population management tool, particularly for elephants whose growing numbers can devastate local ecosystems and biodiversity if left unchecked.
- Removing Surplus Males: Harvesting older, surplus male rhinos or leopards can boost population growth rates by reducing competition and territorial killings of younger, breeding males.
- Strict Regulation: The quotas are heavily regulated, science-based, and comply with strict international CITES frameworks.
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- Conservation Status: Leopards are listed as “Vulnerable” on the IUCN Red List, and black rhinos remain critically endangered globally; permitting hunting of these species sends a contradictory message regarding their conservation.
- Eco-Tourism Alternatives: South Africa’s wildlife is worth more alive than dead. Photographic safaris and eco-tourism generate more sustainable, long-term employment and revenue than the extractive trophy hunting industry.
- Cruelty and Ethics: Trophy hunting is an outdated, cruel practice driven by ego rather than genuine, modern conservation needs.
- Enforcement Flaws: The mechanisms for monitoring hunts in the field (such as ensuring a leopard is strictly a male over 7 years old) are incredibly difficult to enforce, leading to potential abuses of the quota system.
- Ecosystem Disruption: Removing dominant males can cause chaos within social structures, leading to infanticide (especially in leopards) and an increase in human-wildlife conflict.
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