The objectives of this research, were to investigate the characteristics and develop a profile of the game and hunting industries of KwaZulu-Natal, and to undertake a comparison between the game and hunting industries in KwaZulu-Natal and the Eastern Cape. The comparative part of this study was completed using results obtained from a study done in 2002 in the Eastern Cape (van Niekerk, 2002). The main farming activities in KwaZulu-Natal are large livestock production and sugar cane production. In recent years, private landowners in KwaZulu-Natal have undergone a transition from livestock production to game ranching due to the problems faced and the cost implications of the HIV epidemic, stock theft, difficulties faced with changes in the labour laws and the increasing number of land claims against farmers. Although the game and hunting industries are relatively young industries in KwaZulu-Natal they contribute significantly to the economy of the province. Not only is greater conservation of the biodiversity more effective in game ranching but it is also proving to yield great economic returns. The increase in game ranching in recent years is namely due to the monetary value placed on wildlife, the increased value in ecotourism and its value as an earner of foreign exchange, less dependency on unskilled labour than that of livestock farming and lower rates of animal loss through theft compared to that of livestock farming. In KwaZulu-Natal game numbers indicate that impala have the greatest population amongst the respondents, followed by nyala, blesbok, common reedbuck, kudu and blue wildebeest, whilst other game species occur in smaller numbers. Respondents in KwaZulu-Natal indicate that nyala is the largest economic earner for them followed by buffalo, whereas in the Eastern Cape (2002), kudu and springbok provide the greatest income for the province. In KwaZulu-Natal income generated from hunting is second to that of live game sales compared to the Eastern Cape (2002) where hunting is the most important form of game utilisation in terms of income generated. At the time of this study, respondents in KwaZulu-Natal reported an income of R 15 382 397 generated from live sales and R 13 561 459 from hunting. These respondents also indicated that the total value of game utilised annually was in excess of R 30 million. Although game utilisation is occurring on a sustainable basis, there is room for greater utilisation of some game species which, if undertaken correctly, can increase the revenue for the province significantly and also contribute positively to further sustainability of the game populations. KwaZulu-Natal’s competitive advantage is derived from the fact that there is an abundance of game on the ranches, quality trophy animals are available, the number of game species available for hunting and quality of service rendered to hunters by the professional hunters and ranch owners. This study has clearly shown that there is a need for further investigation into the game and hunting industries in KwaZulu-Natal.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:nmmu/vital:10590 |
| Date | January 2007 |
| Creators | Kobus, Louann |
| Publisher | Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University, Faculty of Science |
| Source Sets | South African National ETD Portal |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis, Masters, MTech |
| Format | xiii, 225 leaves : map, ; 30 cm, pdf |
| Rights | Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University |
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