Botswana’s president has threatened to send 20,000 elephants to Germany amid a dispute over imports of hunting trophies.
Earlier this year, Germany’s environment ministry raised the possibility of tightening restrictions on imports of hunting trophies over concerns about poaching.But banning imports of hunting trophies will only impoverish Botswanans, Mokgweetsi Masisi He told the German newspaper Bild..
African leaders argued that elephant numbers are exploding due to conservation efforts and that hunting is an important means of controlling elephants. Botswana banned trophy hunting in 2014, but lifted the ban in 2019 after pressure from local communities. Currently, the state issues hunting quotas annually.
Masisi told the German newspaper that herds of elephants were causing property damage by eating crops and trampling residents.
“It’s very easy to sit in Berlin and have an opinion on issues in Botswana. We are paying the price to protect these animals for the world,” he said.
Germans should “live with animals as you are trying to teach us.”
“This is no joke,” Masisi said. The number of elephants in the country has increased to about 130,000.
Botswana, which has the world’s largest elephant population, has already provided 8,000 elephants to Angola and an additional 500 to Mozambique to help deal with what Masisi calls “overpopulation.” March officers too threatened to send 10,000 elephants to London.
“We want to give Germany a gift like this,” Masisi said, adding: “We will not take no for an answer.”
An Environment Ministry spokesperson in Berlin said Botswana had not expressed any concerns to Germany in this regard.
The ministry continues to consult with African countries affected by the import restrictions, including Botswana, the spokesperson said.
“Given the alarming loss of biodiversity, we have a special responsibility to take all steps to ensure the import of hunting trophies is sustainable and legal,” she said. .
He said Germany is one of the biggest importers of hunting trophies in the European Union.
Under current regulations, African elephant hunting trophies already require an import permit, he added.
Discussions within the EU on stricter import restrictions focus on expanding the list of protected species, she said.
with Agence France-Presse
