Governor of the Kavango East Region, Bonny Wakudumo, said the management and conservation of natural resources and wildlife continues to provide economic benefits to people of the region.
Wakudumo said this during his State of the Region Address held at the Kavango East Regional Council on Friday.
‘Hunting concession quotas for 2023 – 2025 to generate income for Muduva Nyangana, George Mukoya conservancy as well as the Kyaramacan Association have been awarded and hunting agreements signed,” he said.
He said during the period under review, Muduva Nyangana and George Mukoya conservancies generated over N.dollars 2 million from conservation hunting and an additional N.dollars 1.8 million from tourism activities.
The Kyaramacan Association, he added, generated over N.dollars 4 million from conservation hunting, as well as the devil’s claw harvesting concession in Bwabwata West.
The Kyaramacan Association represents residents of the Bwabwata National Park, which is shared by both the Kavango East and Zambezi region.
On human wildlife conflict, Wakudumo said the region experienced incidents involving elephants, crocodiles, hippopotamus and wild dogs.
He added that 12 people sustained injuries, while nine people lost their lives.
“An amount totaling N.dollars 180 000 was spent to assist the injured victims, while N.dollars 900 000 was spent to offset the losses suffered by grieving families,” he noted.
According to the governor, 101 livestock losses (56 cattle, 44 goats, one sheep, one donkey and one pig) were recorded, resulting in government spending N.dollars 180 700 to help offset the losses.
Elephants and hippopotamus damaged a total of 210 hectares, resulting in N.dollars 210 000 used to offset losses.
The governor said to mitigate human wildlife conflict incidents, awareness meetings were held at Mukwe, Ndiyona, Mashare and Rundu Rural constituencies.
Three boreholes, he said, were also drilled and installed at Mutjiku, Shadikongoro and Kashira villages respectively.
The borehole projects were funded by the Game Product Trust Fund to the tune of N.dollars 1.5 million.
Source: The Namibian Press Agency