By Dave Hurteau & Chad Love
Kenya’s wildlife numbers have dwindled by at least two-thirds in the last 30 years. Now a government committee’s recommendation to lift the ban on hunting--which they say would promote better wildlife management and bring in big money that could be put into conservation—is stirring debate.
From the Daily News:
Tempers have flared, and one Kenyan journalist recently protested at the idea of Arab royals and rich Americans, "bored by ordinary living", blasting away at big game while children in rags look on from the doorways of mud huts. . . .
Supporters of hunting include not only ranchers and sports hunters themselves, but also some veteran conservationists who have worked in the country for decades. . . .
Well-funded foreign animal welfare groups, mostly based in the United States, have muddied the debate, and even "subverted democracy", in Kenya, says [Mike Norton-Griffiths, an expert on the economics of wildlife management].
These groups seem determined to make sure hunting never returns, apparently regardless of whether this leads to further falls in wildlife numbers or continued rural poverty, he says.
What do you think?