Hunting vs. Ecotourism.

[Stubby]

I'm currently working on a project for this Ecotourism elective I'm taking this semester and it has my mind racing about the subject. In this project I'm arguing that by definition, hunting/extractive practices are not a part of ecotourism, but if the practices are done sustainability with a focus on conservation then it should be.

By definition, Ecotourism is environmentally responsible travel to natural areas, in order to enjoy and appreciate nature that promotes conservation, have low visitor impact and provide for beneficially active socio-economic involvement of the local people.

In 2011 a study was done that proved that trophy hunting to be a very profitable form of land use with annual revenues exceeding US $500 Million worldwide, $84 million from South African game ranches alone. This money is used for conservation for the area and private game ranches have contributed to the recovery of biesbok, white rhinoceros, black wildebeest and the cape mountain zebra.

Just curious on your take of it, and mergie don't be afraid to post up some articles that will help me in my project.

[badfaulkner]

Do you need sources? Academic Search Premier @ scdiscus.org has a ton of stuff just by searching "ecotourism hunting"

Have you used DISCUS @ scdiscus.org (SC's virtual library)?

[Stubby]

Yeah, I used it but could only come up with one source. "Tourism focus as province's chambers meet"

[huntinghagen#12]

I read this article the other day. Thought it was interesting and it will bring in a lot of money for the group listed below.

"Carter said the permit, to be auctioned at the group’s January convention, could bring as much as $1 million for Namibia’s Ministry of Environment and Tourism rhino program."

http://www.dallasnews.com/sports/mor...-criticism.ece

[BigBrother]

By definition, hunting is eco tourism.

The word "eco" has been bastardized to those who have an anthropomorphic view of nature. My wife, bless her heart, and I got into a huge argument once while hiking in the mountains. I had a fly rod, she had her hiking boots, and patagonia jacket.

She fussed at me for straying off the asphalt path made for the "hikers" and hugging the river bank, looking for a good casting spot, and open pool.

I paid for some flies at the local fly shop, ending up with a couple of things I didnt need, a NC fishing license, and a trout stamp. She bought a diet coke. I released my fish, and crushed a few native plants in my quest for an open pool.

Eco tourism for the patagonia crowd is horse shit.

[Stubby]

I read this article the other day. Thought it was interesting and it will bring in a lot of money for the group listed below.

"Carter said the permit, to be auctioned at the group’s January convention, could bring as much as $1 million for Namibia’s Ministry of Environment and Tourism rhino program."

http://www.dallasnews.com/sports/mor...-criticism.ece

Awesome article, Thanks hagen. I also contacted Mr. Miles for a quote on the subject. I waited on him a few weeks back for his sons birthday. Great guy.

[huntinghagen#12]

Awesome article, Thanks hagen. I also contacted Mr. Miles for a quote on the subject. I waited on him a few weeks back for his sons birthday. Great guy.

He's usually pretty quick on email. If you haven't heard anything from him by the end of the week give me a holler.

[Stubby]

He's usually pretty quick on email. If you haven't heard anything from him by the end of the week give me a holler.

10-4, I know he's out busy chasing the rut. I'll holler at you though.

[Rubberhead*]

Do you have your millions and billions confused? I remember seeing a ED report on the five counties surrouding Lakes Marion and Moultrie were responsible for $400 million annually themselves. It seems like worldwide sport hunting could certainly be way more than $500 million annually.

[uga_dawg]

I don't have an article, but a topic that might help you. Look at the amount of nonresident licenses by state. This should give you an idea of how many people are traveling to hunt and fish. I remember an article a few years back that showed that Georgia sold the 2nd most # of out of state licenses. Colorado was first. Couple those numbers with the amount of money hunters spend on improving the land. Sounds like ecotourism to me.

[Stubby]

Do you have your millions and billions confused? I remember seeing a ED report on the five counties surrouding Lakes Marion and Moultrie were responsible for $400 million annually themselves. It seems like worldwide sport hunting could certainly be way more than $500 million annually.

Trophy Hunting

Safari hunting, sometimes called trophy hunting, is a very profitable form of land use. Annual revenues from trophy hunting exceed US $500 million worldwide (figure from 2002, Lindsey et al. 2007). In South Africa the gross annual incomes from game ranches exceeds US $ 84 million, mainly from trophy hunting, biltong and live animal sales. This activity generates monetary income and it can be used as a form of conservation. Private game ranches in South Africa have contributed to the recovery of blesbok (Damaliscus albifrons), white rhinoceros (Ceratotherium simum), black wildebeest (Connochaetes gnou) and the cape mountain zebra (Equus zebra zebra) according to Lewis and Jackson (2005, 239). Thus this area of the tourism industry is an important one and should not be overlooked despite many arguments about the activity being unethical or a form of commercially exploiting wildlife (Tremblay, 2001).

I didn't pay much attention to the dates before I wrote this but this is what I based that statement off.

[Rubberhead*]

No problem, it actually just a lot lower that I would have expected. I meant to qualify that the $400M/year I mentioned was from the early 1990's and specifically called tourism in those five counties. That 'tourism' was fishing, golf, water sports and recreation, etc. It certainly seems that South Africa trophy hunting would bring in more revenue than Clarendon county...

[Stubby]

No problem, it actually just a lot lower that I would have expected. I meant to qualify that the $400M/year I mentioned was from the early 1990's and specifically called tourism in those five counties. That 'tourism' was fishing, golf, water sports and recreation, etc. It certainly seems that South Africa trophy hunting would bring in more revenue than Clarendon county...

Haha, you would think! I was expecting the number to be a lot higher than it actually was as well. But you think about it 500M a year is $1,369,863.01 per day for the whole year and those "Trophy Hunts" can't be year round so it sounds about right looking at it that way.

[BigBrother]

You need to find a source with total economic impacts, because I have priced an Africa hunt, and all aspects of it are enormous. FWIW, you wont find many posted prices on trophy hunts because from what I can glean, you pay a trophy fee for your animal, and then a separate fee for your PH, per animal.

Then you have airlines, transportation, gun import fees, taxidermy, (done in Africa), tips for gun bearers, ad nauseum. I find the dollar amount quoted as being suspect.

[Salt Marsh]

I would recommend going to the Safari Club International website and in particular the Safari Club International Foundation and look at their conservation efforts. That is a good starting point and they should be able to provide with direct access to many studies that have been done on the subject.

There have been some very revealing studies done about the economic impacts of eco-tourism vs. hunting, centering on the conservation aspects. One theory that has been studied is that hunting, when the locals get large parts of the trophy fees, invests them in keeping the wildlife around as an economic positive. Eco-tourism does not have the same $ impact for keeping the wildlife around to those who must suffer depredation of their corps and lively-hoods. Trophy fee sharing results in more money to the locals and less impact to their way of living (fewer visitors interrupting their lifestyle). More money means they prefer to keep the animals around instead of eating them, killing them to prevent crop damage, or allowing others to poach them.

[Rubberhead*]

There's at least one, maybe two registered PH's on scducks. I just can't remember who they are...

[mhogancu]

I did a 15page research paper on a similar subject. Let me look on my old laptop and see if I still have it

[Tater]

Call this guy...