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Home / Environmentalist wants hunting restricted to spears, arrows
Environmentalist wants hunting restricted to spears, arrows
2018-07-19Staff Report 2 Clemans Miyanicwe KHORIXAS - The Rhino Trust Environmental Education and Research Trust (RPEERT), a non-governmental organisation founded by local environmentalist Michael #Guiseb, is advocating for hunting to be done only with bows and arrows and with spears as guns are wiping out huge numbers of wild animals. “Wildlife don’t have rights and such rights need to be restored back,” says the environmentalist. #Guiseb wants to introduce and strengthen the trainer system in ten areas of Kunene Region as job creation, the organisation has earmarked Khorixas, Fransfontein, #Khoadi //Hoas Conservancy, Sorri-Sorris Conservancy, Uibasen Twyfelfontein Conservancy, //Huab Conservancy, !Horo !Horeb Conservancy and /Audis Conservancy amongst other places. RPEERT also wants to strengthen existing environmental education centres and to build environmental research base camps. “We want to train Grade 10 and 12 school dropouts to be trainers of trainers and in this way also fight youth employment in our region,” #Guiseb who started working for environmental organisations such as Save the Rhino Trust (SRT) during his youths told New Era last week. Youths will be trained about the environment, climate change and the importance of keeping the environment clean as well as to address challenges and mitigate issues that effects the environment. #Guiseb said RPEERT acknowledges government conservation efforts but said there needs to be a grassroots organisation which research and educate local communities in Kunene Region, that’s why RPEERT was formed. #Guiseb says most NGOs that train locals do not have a system to track the progress of their trainers once the first training has been completed. “Management committees of conservancies and communities at times have conflict as they don’t understand the benefit distribution plans or their constitution, so we also want to educate them on these so that they know their rights,” #Guiseb emphasised. RPEERT also called on students at tertiary institutions and researchers to do research in the //Huab River, to study the river and also try to find out why wildlife is moving out of it. “We want to do research in the river and find out if it is blocked as it’s claimed. RPEERT will be a home for researchers, so feel welcome to contact us,” #Guiseb pleaded. #Guiseb said he will try to restore the conservation values of the late conservationists such as Blythe and Rudi Loutit to live on and find solutions to tackle existing environmental problems. RPEERT further plans to create stakeholders platforms and have sent out letters to various institutions both government and private and has already created environmental clubs at two schools in Khorixas. Environmental clubs will be created throughout schools in Kunene, but such efforts are being limited by the lack of funds as RPEERT is currently only funded out of #Guiseb’s pocket. The organisation is also in need of a projector, a generator, office equipment; a vehicle and it needs more money to fund its activities. 2018-07-19Staff Report 2
