British trophy hunting ban bill will harm African wildlife:
African wildlife’s destruction was sealed when British pop stars, comedians and animal rights groups fundraising industry NGOs recently influenced their parliamentarians to vote for the hunting trophies imports ban bill, ignoring the harm it causes to African wildlife and habitat conservation.
Amy Dickman, an Oxford University conservation biologist, together with other British scientists and conservationists worldwide, have warned against this ill-informed decision. The British parliamentarians’ decision to vote for the ban is viewed by many in the conversation and hunting world as “moment of madness”.
They rejected a scientific wildlife management approach, involving the sustainable harvesting of excessive wildlife populations in specific ecosystems so that large wildlife populations don’t exceed the carrying capacities of their ecosystems.
Hunting helps control wildlife overpopulation and prevents leaving wildlife with insufficient water and food supply and even space to exist. Yet, this is the ecological disaster that the British parliamentarians have just set in motion. They apparently don’t care about wildlife conservation but do care about increasing their popular ratings, fundraising opportunities and political votes.
For the animal rights fundraising industry NGOs, the wildlife conservation crisis that scientists have warned would break out is good news, particularly in Africa where there are the Big Five that they can use as species in peril and ask for donations. For the record, many have not saved a single elephant in the wilderness. They selectively focus on elephants in zoos, to whip up public emotions and then ask for donations. Shame.
International hunting is a management measure supported by the United Nations Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Fauna and Flora Species. It’s also supported by a big international NGO, the World Wildlife Fund (WWF). According to the WWF 1997 Quota Setting Manual, the main purpose of a quota is to identify the number of animals that can be killed without reducing the population.
Science is not about votes of parliamentarians and public referendums. Neither is it about the support of animal rights groups fundraising industry NGOs, comedians, politicians and pop stars.
When the Covid-19 pandemic hit the world, resulting in millions of people dying, it didn’t take votes to decide on vaccines and other scientific measures that needed to be observed to save human lives.
Why then, in the 21st century, do we see the United Kingdom, which helps fund poverty alleviation, reject one of the ways that African hunting communities use to alleviate poverty by banning hunting trophy imports into the UK?
In an intense human-wildlife-conflict scenario, people in the Southern African Development Community would struggle to profitably grow crops and safely store their agricultural produce. Wildlife would have nowhere to run and get wiped out through revenge killings.
Where in your country, British parliamentarians, will you accommodate southern African wildlife? You neither have the scientific wildlife management know-how, space, appropriate vegetation, nor love for African people and wildlife.
The acting director of Zambia’s department of national parks and wildlife management, Andrew Eldred Chomba, recently said, “One of the disadvantages of conservation success is that it results in elephant overpopulation that leads to human-wildlife conflict and our people continue to be killed by elephants.”
It’s against such a challenging scenario as is the case in most hunting communities of Southern Africa that international hunting is used as a wildlife management tool to control the wildlife population and to raise income for these communities.
No wonder that, before the 17 March British parliamentarians’ vote for hunting trophy imports ban, elephant-overpopulated Botswana warned the British government that the legislation would harm its wildlife and negatively affect people’s livelihoods.
“If the bill is passed by parliament, it will affect Botswana’s wildlife management,” said a press release from Botswana’s ministry of environment and tourism.
“It will also increase the risk of poaching and human-wildlife conflict, negatively impacting, for example, the largest herd of elephants that Botswana supports.”
Ishmael Chaukura, of Zimbabwe’s Masoka wildlife producer community, which boasts a school built from revenue raised from hunting that has produced medical doctors, nurses, accountants, and other professionals, said, “The hunting trophies imports ban bill shows that the British aren’t genuine conservationists, but pretenders and they don’t respect African wildlife producer communities and their leaders.
“They can ban hunting trophies imports into the United Kingdom but can never stop hunting in Africa.”
The British parliamentarians have already approved the hunting trophies imports ban into the UK. The bill will be discussed in the House of Lords in May or June. Although it is unable to prevent bills passing into law except in certain limited circumstances, the House of Lords can delay bills and force the House of Commons [parliamentarians] to reconsider their decisions.
Therefore, it remains to be seen if the House of Lords can get the parliamentarians to reconsider their decisions.
The views expressed are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the Mail & Guardian.
Fortuner still smiles on Toyota:
Initially launched in 2006, Toyota’s Fortuner has managed to answer a question no one was asking at the time: “Would you like a body-on-frame, seven-seater SUV loosely based on its Hilux bakkie sibling?”
“No, but can I see what it looks like and, maybe, just maybe, take it for a spin and see?”
The rest is history. Here we are in 2023 and the fabled Fortuner continues to fly out of dealerships faster than a politician’s pre-election campaign promises. Actually, strike that — nothing’s that fast.
As I meander through the Swartberg Pass in the Western Cape, at the wheel of the updated Toyota Fortuner, I’m pondering why this model continues to sell like hotcakes, in spite of a slew of newer competitors.
Launched in 2016, the locally manufactured second generation of the Fortuner has managed to remain incredibly buoyant, selling in the region of 900 units a month — accounting for 40% of the market share — which is testimony to its unwavering popularity.
The model got some cosmetic updates in 2021, which included the addition of the flagship VX specification, replete with plusher finishes and a more sophisticated JBL audio system, among others.
To stave off the competition, Toyota has given the Fortuner more improvements this year — an exterior design inspired by a catamaran’s twin hull and even more refined cabin appointments, including two-tone, burgundy and black leather pews across all the 2.8 GD6 models.
These go well with the optional two-tone (black roof and white body) exterior. At a R10 200 premium, this comes highly recommended as it is the most obvious visual update and simply looks ace.
In addition, the front valance is now kitted out with LED driving lights and dynamic indicators, while 18-inch alloy wheels are standard across the range. The rear has also been given a once-over, sporting a remoulded bumper with integrated L-shaped reflectors.
At the launch, we drove the flagship 2.8 GD6 VX 4X4 model that puts out 150kW and 500Nm through a 6-speed automatic transmission.
The drivetrain exhibited good levels of performance and refinement, making light work of both on- and off-road traverses.
Both the steering and suspension seem to have been upgraded somewhat. The former feels less nervous and jittery over scarred road surfaces than the outgoing model, while the latter’s unwanted shimmy has been dialled down, all while notching up the ride polish.
Headroom, particularly in the second row of seats, remains the model’s Achilles heel. This is also true of the third-row, side-folding seats, which obscure over-the-shoulder blind-spot visibility.
According to a company spokesperson, buyers will have to endure this setup in the current model due to the design platform, which prohibits a more versatile floor-folding seat configuration. This will probably be addressed in the next-generation Fortuner, which will arrive in Mzansi in 2026 at the earliest.
Being the oldest model in its segment, the Fortuner has valiantly managed to fend off newer rivals, thanks to constant improvements, not to mention a wider after-sales network, which makes it a default choice among buyers.
Yes, it is getting long in the tooth in most aspects, and its packaging remains compromised compared to its rivals, but this has not deterred the almost 1?000 buyers a month who continue to vote for the model with their wallets.
Seven years into its life cycle, the Toyota Fortuner’s latest updates seem just enough to keep it ahead of rivals in the form of the Ford Everest, Isuzu mu-X and Mitsubishi Pajero Sport in this popular, mid-size, seven-seater SUV segment.
Pricing remains relatively keen and this could be sufficient to keep the model’s sales leading in earnest.
You might be wondering whether any hybrid models are in the pipeline. Well, according to the firm, this will be the case in the next generation of the model as part of its electrification strategy.
For now, however, the Fortuner’s incremental updates seem to work in its favour in the midst of fresher rivals vying for its crown.
Pricing has seen an average 6% hike over the outgoing model:
• 2.4 GD-6 RB MT R653 500;
• 2.4 GD-6 RB AT R677 500;
• 2.4 GD-6 4X4 AT R709 800;
• 2.8 GD-6 RB R794 600;
• 2.8 GD-6 RB VX R837 800;
• 2.8 GD-6 4X4 R873 500 and
• 2.8 GD-6 4X4 VX R915 400.
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