Forest Products, Livelihoods and Conservation

328 Sport hunting of elephant in Zimbabwe: a case study of Kanyurira Ward in Guruve district

for example, only 270 elephants out of a possible 400 were taken in 1998,

and Mozambique has banned elephant hunting altogether. If it is assumed

that only 75% of quotas are used, a figure closer to US$10 million would

represent a more realistic estimate of the world market.

Much of this revenue growth is underpinned by the cultural understanding

and marketing strategies of local white safari operators about European and

American imaginings of the ‘African wildlife experience’ and the ‘Great White

Hunter’, romanticised by Earnest Hemmingway and epitomised by films such

as Out of Africa and Clint Eastwood’s White Hunter, Black Heart. Safari

operators of European descent therefore have a sociocultural advantage over

their black counterparts in terms of their ability to tap into international

marketing channels and compete for clients. Another constraint to entering

the sport hunting market is the high capital costs of establishing a business as

a safari operator, notably the need for reliable four-wheel-drive vehicles and

to pay for hunting quotas.

Sport hunting is supported by the Zimbabwe Association of Tour and Safari

Operators (ZATSO), the Zimbabwe Tourism Authority, and by the Department

of National Parks and Wild Life. ZATSO promotes the interests of its members,

such as Ingwe Safaris, by lobbying government ministers, negotiating with

government, and drafting a code of conduct, rules and guidelines members

are expected to follow in order to promote professionalism within the hunting

subsector. On the marketing front, the association publishes an annual handbook

with information on hunting and its members, and it participates in Safari

Club International shows on behalf of its members.

Safari operators are required to pay a 2% tourism levy to the Zimbabwe

Tourism Authority, a statutory body. The authority has supported the

Figure 4. Trophy Fee for Elephant (1986- 1998)

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