From rxpgnews.com
Zambia urges US to let citizens bring hunting trophies
By Xinhua,
Jan 28, 2007 - 10:08:29 AM
Lusaka, Jan 28 - Zambia has urged the US to rescind its decision not to allow their citizens to bring trophies from elephant-hunting safaris. Zambia maintains that the elephant trophy-hunting is key to the conservation of elephants.
A Zambian delegation has met the US Fisheries and Wildlife Services authorities to argue that increased quotas for trophy hunting in selected areas with transboundary elephant populations are necessary, reported Zambia Daily Mail Saturday.
These areas include the Zambezi valley, where the elephant population is shared by Zambia and Zimbabwe, the newspaper reported.
The Zambian minister of tourism, environment and natural resources Kabinga Pande who led the delegation, said he is concerned that while Zimbabwe is allowed a gigantic 500 quota in the shared trans-boundary elephant population for sport-hunting, his country is restricted to a paltry 20 annually.
He also said that sport-hunting has the potential to bring large financial benefits to the country and empower local communities economically and motivate them to participate in conservation projects.
He said sport hunting will also go a long way in easing animal-human conflicts in game management areas and therefore enhance conservation of animals such as elephants.
US authorities have assured the Zambian delegation to study the Zambian case. The ongoing five-day hunters convention has attracted 19,000 delegates from across the world.
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