Page 88 - ODUMar-Apr2019

If one looks at the diversity of species that are hunted annually, Namibia offers 44 different huntable

species.

For some of the animals hunted, the venison is not consumed. This accounts for very few animals. The
vast majority of animals, including big game like elephant, rhino, hippo and buffalo are a very important
source of protein for local communities.

Venison as a product = an important source of protein for local communities

So how much venison is estimated to be a product of conservation hunting each year?
• From dangerous / big game animals, of which 98% occur in either state or communal lands, 320
tons of meat is harvested each year. The vast majority of this meat – about 80+% goes straight to local
communities.
• On private land this figure is even
higher. If at an average of 50 kg (120

pounds) per plains game animal, this
equates to 1.15 million tons of meat
annually.
• That is 28,750 18-wheeler trucks
loaded to capacity with meat. That is a
lot of venison!

An estimated 1.47 million tons of

venison meat is the product of
conservation hunting annually in
Namibia

If one converts the value of this meat
to money, its value would be around
N$ 29.4 million (US$ 2.1 million).

It is my resilient and dedicated belief
that there is both place for
conservation hunting as well as tourism
in Namibia. The two cater to different
markets, a different clientele seeking
different experiences.

So how do conservation hunting and
tourism sectors compare?

Let’s go to the numbers:
• Namibia’s tourism:
o Currently (2016) 1.5 million
tourists visit Namibia each year