The ICA is comprised of indigenous safari operators who benefitted in the Wildlife based land reform policy and are conducting their businesses in the Gwaai area in Matabeleland North.
Gwaai ICA executive board member, Langton Masunda, said the ballooning population of elephants in the country was raising fears of an unbalanced ecosystem.
“The Ministry of Natural resources, through the department of wildlife, should advocate for an increase in the hunting quota for elephants as the current elephant population is burdening the land and is therefore reducing ecological balance,” he said.
Elephant holding capacity is 0,5 elephants per square km. At Gonarezhou National Park the carrying capacity is 2 500 00 while for Zambezi Valley it is 7 000 00.
He said if there was an increased quota, farmers in the area might profit and be able to contribute to wildlife conservation efforts in the area.
“When most farmers moved into these farms in 2001, they moved into forests which had nothing and they had to build their own camps from scratch. Most of them have not managed to make a profit since they moved in.
A single elephant costs between US$10 000 and US$12 500, depending on its size.
Post published in: News