Can the subaltern speak? Contradictions in trophy hunting and wildlife conservation trajectory in Botswana

Abstract

Botswana re-introduced trophy hunting in 2019. This generated a debate about the relevance of trophy hunting in achieving wildlife conservation and human well-being among wildlife stakeholders. The stakeholders include the Government of Botswana, local agro-pastoralists, photographic and trophy hunting tourism operators and anti-hunting groups. Stakeholders differ in opinion on the acceptability of trophy hunting as a socio-economic development and conservation tool. This paper, therefore, adopts the socio-ecological framework and uses Spivak’s rhetoric question: “Can the Subaltern Speak”, to analyse contradictions of trophy hunting, human well-being and wildlife conservation trajectory in Botswana. The study is qualitative and makes use of interviews and secondary data sources. The results indicate that the Government of Botswana and communities (agro-pastoralists) especially those residing in wildlife areas prefer both trophy hunting and photographic tourism as a strategy to derive tourism benefits and achieve wildlife conservation. Conversely, animal rights groups reject trophy hunting noting its failure to promote wildlife conservation. The paper concludes that the socio-ecological framework is the ideal guide for wildlife conservation and human well-being in wildlife areas. Both photographic tourism and trophy hunting are sustainable land use options with the potential to achieve wildlife conservation and human well-being in Botswana.

Keywords:

• Wildlife conservation
• trophy hunting
• photo-tourism
• subaltern
• livelihoods

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Joseph Elizeri Mbaiwa

Joseph E. Mbaiwa (PhD) is the Director of the Okavango Research Institute (ORI), University of Botswana. He is also a Professor of Tourism studies. He holds a PhD in Recreation, Park & Tourism Sciences from Texas A&M University (USA).Joe Mbaiwa has over 20 years experience in tourism and natural resource management research and consultancy experience in Botswana. He is widely published on issues of tourism development, rural livelihoods and conservation.

Wame L. Hambira

Dr Wame Lucretia Hambira is a Senior Research Scholar with the Okavango Research Institute of the University of Botswana. Her research focuses on the effects of global environment change on livelihoods and the economy particularly the tourism sector. She holds a PhD in Geography (Tourism & Climate change) from the University of Oulu, Finland and an MSc in Environmental Economics, University of York (UK).