South Africa Minister Halts $350.000 Rhino Hunt Permits Amid Legal Battle

The Post On Sunday

South Africa’s trophy hunting industry, worth billions of rand annually, has been thrown deeper into uncertainty after Environment Minister Dion George announced he would not immediately approve quotas for the hunting of black rhinos, elephants, and leopards. The decision comes as a heated legal dispute plays out in the country’s courts, pitting government policy against powerful hunting lobbyists and conservation concerns.

Wildlife Ranching South Africa (WRSA), the main industry association, has filed a case demanding that the government set annual quotas for the hunting of iconic species. According to WRSA, the absence of quotas over the past five years has not only damaged the reputation of South Africa’s once-thriving trophy hunting industry but has also caused significant financial losses. Foreign hunters, particularly from Europe and the United States, are reportedly willing to pay up to $350,000 to shoot a single black rhino, while permits for elephants fetch between $75,000 and $100,000, and leopards up to $40,000.

The industry argues that these hunts play a vital role in funding wildlife conservation and sustaining rural economies. South Africa’s trophy hunting sector is estimated to generate 44 billion rand ($2.5 billion) in economic activity each year, employing thousands directly and indirectly. However, critics, including conservationists and animal rights activists, say the practice commercializes endangered species and undermines long-term efforts to protect Africa’s most vulnerable wildlife.

“The minister is using a case brought against him for failing to do his job, as the very reason to keep failing at that job,” said WRSA Chief Executive Officer Richard York, who accused the government of neglecting the industry. According to York, the impasse has already cost the industry more than 2.25 billion rand in potential earnings, with South Africa ceding ground to regional competitors such as Namibia and Zimbabwe, where trophy hunting remains an active revenue stream.

Minister George’s office, however, insists that the decision is rooted in caution and adherence to the law. “Once a judgment has been delivered, the minister will consider the court’s ruling and decide on the way forward in line with South Africa’s conservation objectives,” his office said in a statement.

The move underscores a broader tension in South Africa’s conservation policy. While both George and his predecessor, Barbara Creecy, have endorsed the principle of “sustainable use” of biodiversity and natural assets, public sentiment around the hunting of endangered species is shifting. Internationally, trophy hunting of black rhinos in particular has come under fire, with animal-rights groups arguing that the killing of even small numbers sends the wrong message about conservation.

South Africa does, however, hold special international rights under the UN Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES), which allows the country to permit the hunting of up to 150 elephants annually, 150 male leopards, and about 0.5% of its black rhino population, equivalent to around 10 animals.