Inclusive biodiversity conservation and the unsustainability of ‘sustainable use’

This policy brief by Good Governance Africa challenges the South African Government's Reviewed National Biodiversity Economy Strategy (2024), specifically its promotion of trophy hunting as a conservation tool. The author argues that the economic benefits of trophy hunting are overstated and its ecological costs are too high, recommending a shift toward non-consumptive alternatives and inclusive conservation that integrates local communities into ecotourism and conservation-enhancing agriculture.

• The South African Government's Reviewed National Biodiversity Economy Strategy (2024) aims to increase the GDP contribution of consumptive use from R4.6 billion in 2020 to R27.6 billion by 2036, primarily by increasing the availability of 'Big five' animals for trophy hunting.
• The economic data used to justify trophy hunting is criticized as methodologically flawed. The figure of US$341 million in annual contribution to the economy is based on a survey of only 362 respondents from a target population of 7,600, with respondents having a vested interest in the industry.
• The growth targets for trophy hunting in the 2024 strategy are deemed implausible. To reach the projected revenue, it is estimated that nearly one million animals would need to be trophy hunted by 2036, requiring a significant increase in international hunters and available animals that may not exist.
• Trophy hunting is in global decline, with a 18.5% drop in hunters in the USA between 1991 and 2016. In South Africa, the number of foreign hunters decreased by 62.4% over 14 years, falling from 16,594 in 2008 to 6,242 in 2022.
• The document argues that trophy hunting carries high opportunity costs, such as the fragmentation of landscapes and the killing of apex predators like leopards by private game ranchers breeding herbivores.
• The author contends that the 'sustainable use' philosophy is inconsistent with section 24 of the South African Constitution, which imposes a duty on the State to protect the environment for present and future generations rather than establishing a right to use wildlife sustainably.
• The brief recommends replacing trophy hunting with non-consumptive alternatives, including ecotourism and conservation-enhancing agriculture, to create inclusive conservation that benefits local communities and restores ecological integrity.

APA

Harvey, R. (2024). Inclusive biodiversity conservation and the unsustainability of ‘sustainable use’. Good Governance Africa. https://digitalmallblobstorage.blob.core.windows.net/wp-content/2024/06/Inclusive-biodiversity-conservation-and-the-unsustainability-of-‘sustainable-use-PB.pdf

Chicago

Harvey, Ross. Inclusive biodiversity conservation and the unsustainability of ‘sustainable use’. Good Governance Africa, 2024. https://digitalmallblobstorage.blob.core.windows.net/wp-content/2024/06/Inclusive-biodiversity-conservation-and-the-unsustainability-of-‘sustainable-use-PB.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Harvey |first1=Ross |title=Inclusive biodiversity conservation and the unsustainability of ‘sustainable use’ |publisher=Good Governance Africa |date=June 2024 |url=https://digitalmallblobstorage.blob.core.windows.net/wp-content/2024/06/Inclusive-biodiversity-conservation-and-the-unsustainability-of-‘sustainable-use-PB.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{harvey2024inclusive, author = {Harvey, Ross}, title = {{Inclusive biodiversity conservation and the unsustainability of ‘sustainable use’}}, institution = {Good Governance Africa}, year = {2024}, month = jun, url = {https://digitalmallblobstorage.blob.core.windows.net/wp-content/2024/06/Inclusive-biodiversity-conservation-and-the-unsustainability-of-‘sustainable-use-PB.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }