Browsing by Author "Gramberg-Danielsen, Lillian"

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    The environmental, recreational and conservational reasoning behind hunters’ preferences and activities in South Africa
    (Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2020-03) Gramberg-Danielsen, Lillian; Ferreira, Sanette; Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences. African Centre for HIV/AIDS Management.
    ENGLISH SUMMARY : South Africa is one of the most popular hunting destinations in Africa. International as well as local hunters enjoy the country’s diverse landscapes and rich variety of wildlife species. Hunting for meat and trophy hunting – two forms of consumptive tourism – are perceived as appropriate wildlife management tools but both are causing emotional and heated debates between opponents and advocates of hunting. If conducted in an ecological sustainable way, hunting can help to provide the financial means for nature conservation and create job opportunities in rural areas. The opponents of hunting question these potential benefits and they highlight the ethical considerations inherent to the sport. The study aimed to contribute to the academic knowledge on hunting by assessing the geography (the what, where and why) of meat and trophy hunting in South Africa as well as the hunters’ perceptions of and attitudes to their recreational hunting activities and their contributions to wildlife conservation in general. The six research objectives were first to review the appropriate international literature on the history of hunting; the theories on human-environment relationships and pro-environmental behaviour, as well as the constructs and concepts about hunters’ motivations to hunt; available case studies on consumptive wildlife tourism and the different types of hunting; and the link between hunting and conservation. The second objective was to review literature relevant to assessing the larger picture of meat and trophy hunting in South Africa. Third, it sought to create a demographic profile for the local biltong-and-trophy-hunter community in South Africa. Fourth was to question the hunters in which municipalities they live and in which they hunt so as to map the geography of hunters and hunting areas in South Africa. The fifth objective was to assess the environmental, recreational and conservational reasoning behind South African hunters’ hunting preferences, decisions and activities. Last was to assess the hunters’ perceptions of uploading hunting photographs on social media. The study followed a mixed-methods approach. A questionnaire survey was undertaken among members of two South African hunting associations (South African Hunters and Game Conservation Association and the Professional Hunters’ Association of South Africa). One-thousand-four-hundred-and-nine (1409) completed questionnaires were received back. Data were captured and analysed using STATISTICA, Excel and ArcMap. The findings indicated that South African hunters have a high degree of awareness of the environmental problems facing the African continent. Although most of the respondents in the survey exclusively hunt for meat, they do approve of trophy hunting. It was found that the hunters’ concerns revolve around the long-term effects of hunting on the genetic pool of species and the possible unethical nature of hunting. Their approval depends on the type of wildlife hunted and the income generated. The principal hunter-generating areas were Gauteng and Western Cape while the district municipalities receiving the most hunters were Waterberg in Limpopo and Pixley ka Seme in Northern Cape. The most important reasons for hunting were the wish to obtain meat for consumption, to be outdoors and to enjoy the sport of hunting. The possibility to shoot trophy animals was ranked lowest. It was also found that the proponents approve of sharing photographs of hunting trips online but they do not do so for fear of public reaction. Furthermore, respondents with a higher level of education are the most likely to support nature conservation efforts financially. A few limitations were encountered. Questions number 8 and 28 of the questionnaire survey dealt with the origin of the hunters (district municipality) and their hunting destinations (district municipality). These questions were developed as open-ended questions. Unfortunately, some of the respondents did not indicate the exact locations for the district municipalities in which they reside or hunt in. Therefore, the locations of only 659 responses could be pinpointed and used in the mapping of the origins of hunters and their hunting destination. Recommendations include further research on the connection between hunting and social media as well as on the spatio-temporal relationship between hunters and their hunting destinations.