Inclusive biodiversity conservation and the unsustainability of ‘sustainable use’

The document challenges the South African government's promotion of trophy hunting as a conservation tool, asserting that the economic value of the practice is inflated and its ecological costs are too high. It argues that the 'sustainable use' philosophy creates unrealistic revenue expectations and promotes unsustainable practices. The author recommends transitioning to non-consumptive alternatives, such as ecotourism and conservation-enhancing agriculture, to better support local communities and ecological sustainability, aligning with the constitutional duty to protect the environment for future generations.

• 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, specifically by increasing the availability of 'Big five' animals for trophy hunting.
• The economic data used to justify trophy hunting is methodologically flawed, relying on a survey of 362 respondents from a target population of 7,600, where participants had a vested interest in the industry's continuation.
• The target of reaching R27.6 billion by 2036 is viewed as implausible, as it would require international hunters to shoot nearly 100,000 animals annually, totaling close to one million animals over the period.
• Trophy hunting is in global decline; in the USA, the primary source of hunters for Africa, numbers dropped 18.5% between 1991 and 2016, and foreign hunters visiting South Africa decreased by 62.4% between 2008 and 2022.
• Trophy hunting represents a small fraction of South Africa's tourism economy, contributing approximately 1.9% of total tourism value in 2019 and supporting a minuscule portion of the 1.46 million tourism jobs.
• The practice of game ranching creates significant ecological opportunity costs, including the fragmentation of landscapes and the killing of apex predators like leopards by ranchers breeding herbivores.
• The document argues that Section 24 of the South African Constitution imposes a duty on the State to protect the environment for future generations, which should prioritize ecological sustainability over a blanket 'sustainable use' mandate for consumptive extraction.

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} }