By Chrispin Inambao WINDHOEK Volker Grellmann is the man who keeps the eagle’s eye on professional hunters: ensuring they play by the book, execute their expeditions ethically, professionally and without controversy. The Namibian Professional Hunting Association (NAPHA), with 500 members, constitutionally created the position of an Ombudsman in 2000.As founding Ombudsman, Grellmann has since been re-elected in the position at NAPHA’s bi-annual Annual General Meetings (AGMs). “My office deals with members of NAPHA and their clientele as well as any other instance that lodges a complaint against a NAPHA member,” he explains. “The duty of the Ombudsman is to mediate differences in opinion and points of dispute which are submitted to me in writing by the NAPHA executive. ÃÆ’Æ‘ÀÃ…ÃÆ”šÃ‚ These submissions have to concern a member and are usually beyond the scope of routine matters dealt with by the executive committee. ÃÆ’Æ‘ÀÃ…ÃÆ”šÃ‚ All cases are treated confidentially – no names,” says Grellmann. “The aspects I have to deal with include a wide variety of disputes, often with a financial background but also human rights, hunting ethics, disputes over contractual obligations.” Trophy hunting in Namibia is a well-regulated industry that enjoys an excellent reputation on the international stage while generating hundreds of millions of dollars in direct and indirect revenue. “Because hunting on itself gets under pressure more and more – around the world – it is essential that we have to keep our house in order and clean. ÃÆ’Æ‘ÀÃ…ÃÆ”šÃ‚ Above all, we have to be totally transparent and should somebody within the industry break the law, he will have to be prosecuted and punished. ÃÆ’Æ‘ÀÃ…ÃÆ”šÃ‚ If he transgresses on ethics, still an unwritten law, but defined at NAPHA, he will have to be reprimanded