Today, a procession of individuals marched through the streets of Gaborone to deliver a petition to the British High Commission, expressing their opposition to the United Kingdom's proposed anti-hunting bill. This legislation, which failed to pass in the House of Lords last year, is set to be reintroduced later this month. Botswana, along with other southern African nations, is actively lobbying against this measure.

Leading the march from the National Stadium was the Ngamiland Council of Non-Governmental Organizations (NCONGO), a coalition representing communities coexisting with wildlife. They presented the petition to Mark Ssemakula, the British High Commission's representative for nature and climate change. Poniso Shamukuni, chairperson of the Chobe Enclave Conservation Trust and a member of NCONGO, articulated reasons why the proposed hunting ban should not be enforced.

In the petition, signed by 22 Community Trusts across Botswana, concerns were raised regarding the UK Parliament's proposed bill to prohibit the importation of trophies from CITES-listed species. Shamukuni stressed Botswana's rich conservation history and emphasized the significant role that trophy hunting plays in generating revenue for communities sharing habitats with wildlife.

The petition argued that the absence of a hunting ban, as observed around 2014, led to an increase in human-wildlife conflicts, particularly as elephants encroached into non-wildlife areas, causing crop damage and posing risks to human safety. Shamukuni highlighted trophy hunting as a conservation tool, especially in managing elephant populations to mitigate adverse effects on vegetation, agriculture, and livestock.

Contrary to misconceptions, the petition outlined that hunting in Botswana is carefully regulated, targeting specifically older male elephants. NCONGO cautioned that a hunting ban could lead to a surge in poaching activities, as seen in the past.

Shamukuni stressed the detrimental impact a hunting ban would have on the livelihoods of communities reliant on wildlife-based tourism, urging the British government to consider the far-reaching consequences of the proposed bill.

The communities pleaded for a thoughtful evaluation of the implications of enacting the Hunting Trophies (Import Prohibition) Bill, emphasizing its potential to worsen human-wildlife conflicts, undermine conservation efforts, and harm the well-being of wildlife-dependent communities.