"SA jagbedryf berus op uitbuiting van diere" - Feitelik aanvegbaar
“Die Suid-Afrikaanse jagbedryf berus op die volhoubare benutting van diere,” antwoord Jacques Malan president van Wildbedryf Suid-Afrika. “Dit is korrek dat daar ’n sosiale ervaring aan die totale omvang van 'n jagtog is. Die samesyn rondom 'n kampvuur in die veld waar jy kan vergeet van jou daaglikse bedrywighede en probleme, is verseker die hoogtepunt van 'n jagtog. Die geselskap rondom so 'n kampvuur is iets wat nie net geniet word deur mans nie, maar ook deur vrouens, families en kinders,” sê hy.
Hy wys daarop dat dit die geleentheid vir ’n wonderlike sosiale samesyn bied.
“Deur bokke te agtervolg in die veld leer jy veldkuns, en maak jy jouself deel van die natuur, want jy moet probeer om geruisloos te kan beweeg. Jy moet die heeltyd probeer dink soos die bok wat bekruip word en terselfdertyd moet jy probeer optree soos ’n roofdier wat dieselfde sou doen. Dit is immers hoe jagtogte uitgevoer word.”
Malan wys daarop dat diere in die natuur aanteel in ’n verhouding van 50 % manlik en 50 % vroulik. “Die 50 % manlike diere is uiteraard ’n probleem op wildplase, aangesien slegs 'n baie klein persentasie van hierdie manlike diere nodig is vir teling en die voortbestaan van die spesies. Die res van die manlike diere baklei met mekaar en soms maak hulle selfs mekaar asook van die vroulike diere dood in hulle gevegte. Verder vreet hulle die weiding op wat meer voordelig vir die vroulike diere en die lammers of kalwers is. Jag is dus 'n noodsaaklike oesmetode vir die volhoubare benutting en voortbestaan van wild.”
Hy sê die fondse wat met die verkoop van 'n jagtog en wild gegenereer word, word gebruik om die voortbestaan van spesies te verseker, deurdat dit aangewend word vir instandhouding en onderhoud van die plaas, soos byvoorbeeld die maak van voorbrande en paaie, asook die verskaffing van water en voer gedurende droogtetye. Die jagter is onontbeerlik vir wildbewaring op privaat eiendom, aangesien volhoubare donasies as 'n reël nie gegee word aan privaat wildboere nie.
Wat betref die verskuiwing van wild na areas waar hul voorheen nie voorgekom het nie, sê Malan hierdie verskuiwing is 'n baie belangrike bewaringsaspek wat noodsaaklik is vir die voortbestaan van die spesies. As gevolg van die mens se toetrede tot landbou met die gevolglike omheining van plase en kampe van vee- en wildboerderye, voorkom dit die historiese vrye migrasie van wild. Sekere gebiede wat voorheen savanna streke was en deur savanna diere bewei is, is vandag totaal en al bebos en nie meer geskik vir die oorspronklike savanna spesies nie. Die wildboer moes dus ingryp deur wild te skuif na areas waar hulle habitat baie beter is, of alternatiewelik na waar voeding of kos verskaf kan word aan die diere om te verseker maak dat spesies nie uitsterf nie.
“Die Wildbedryf van Suid-Afrika nooi dus vir Michelle Pickover uit om met ons te kom gesels, sodat sy nie as gevolg van onkunde of as gevolg van bevooroordeelde navorsing die jagbedryf wil aftakel nie. Ons is oortuig daarvan dat die regering genoeg wetgewing in plek het om onwettige jagpraktyke te reguleer. Die regering doen moeite om met die jagbedryf in verbinding te bly en om te poog om die oortreders vas te vat. Die meeste jagters tree eties op in die jagveld; so ook is die grootste meerderheid van wildboere ingestel op die toekoms en kan hulle nie toelaat dat onregmatige jagpraktyke by hulle plaasvind nie,” aldus Malan.
Hy sê enige logies denkende persoon sal egter besef dat dit nie saak maak hoe goed die wetgewing is nie, jy sal nooit die skelm deur wetgewing kan beheer nie. “Dit is dus belangrik dat enige wanpraktyke so vinnig moontlik onder die wildboer en jagorganisasies se aandag gebring moet word.”
"South African hunting industry built on exploitation of animals”- not factually accurate
“The South African hunting industry is built on the sustainable utilisation of game,” answers Jacques Malan, president of Wildlife Ranching South Africa (WRSA). “While it is correct that there is a social component to the hunting expedition, it is the experience of being together around a campfire, where you can forget all the ails and stresses of daily life, which is the highlight of any hunt. The company around a campfire is something which is not exclusively that of the male domain anymore. In most cases, wives and children all form part of the experience,” he says.
He explains that going on a hunt provides the opportunity for having a wonderful time with family and friends. But, it is not all about socialising.
“By stalking buck in the veld, one learns more about the veld and becomes a part of nature, since you have to move soundlessly. You have to attempt to outthink your prey by becoming a predator. That is what hunting is about, after all.”
Malan explains that animals in nature breed in a relationship of 50% male to 50% female animals. “The 50% male animals are necessarily a problem on any game farm, as only a small percentage of these animals are needed for sufficient breeding purposes and the continuation of the species. The rest of the male animals fight each other and may injure or even kill some of the female and younger animals. Furthermore, they use grazing which would be better utilised by female animals and their young. This means that hunting is a necessary harvesting method for the sustainable utilisation and continuation of game in South Africa.”
He says funds generated through the sale of hunting packages and game, are used to ensure the continuation of the different species of animals, as it is used for the upkeep of the farm, such as building firebreaks and roads. The funds are also used to supply water and feed to the animals in times of drought. The hunter plays a pivotal role in game preservation on private game farms, as continuing donations are not usually handed out to private game farmers.
In the case of translocation of animals to areas where they have not dwelt before, Malan says that the translocation issue is a very important aspect of game preservation. Because of man’s agricultural activities, and the subsequent fencing in of livestock and game farms, the animals’ natural migratory routes were disrupted. Some areas which were savannah habitat previously, have now become bushy to such an extent that savannah-dwelling animals are unable to subsist on the local flora. It is for this reason, Malan says, that the game farmer had to intervene by moving game to areas where their habitat is better, or alternatively to a place where feed can be supplied to them to ensure that the species do not become extinct.
“Wildlife Ranching South Africa would therefore like to extend an invitation to Michele Pickover to meet with us, so that the hunting industry is not needlessly criticised due to ignorance or biased research. We are convinced that government has enough legislation in place to restrict any illegal hunting practice. The government, for their part, is constantly in touch with the hunting industry to try and eliminate unethical hunting practices. Most hunters act ethically when they go hunting, and in the same way most game farmers are cognisant of the future, which means that they will also not allow any irregularities when it comes to hunting on their farms,” Malan adds.
He says that any logical person will realise, though, that no matter the strictness of the law, criminal elements will never be completely removed. “It is therefore of utmost importance that any irregularities in hunting is immediately brought to the attention of the game farmer and hunting organisations.”
