Trophy Hunting of Black Rhino Diceros bicornis: Proposals to Ensure Its Future Sustainability

Proposing the use of charismatic species of large mammals as a conservation tool is often controversial, even though the Conservation of Biological Diversity promotes sustainable use as one of its three pillars. Indeed, sustainable use has been important in helping to recover southern white rhinos, the South African population of which was downlisted in 1994 to Appendix II of CITES for trophy hunting and live sales only. The Appendix I listed black rhino is now also beginning to recover, particularly in South Africa and Namibia, where how best to deal with surplus males arising from successful biological management is an increasing problem. Furthermore, black rhinos are now being increasingly moved to private land, where incentives from use may help help promote metapopulation management goals. As a result, the African Rhino Specialist Group anticipated proposals to trophy hunt black rhinos, and were concerned to recommend criteria that proponent countries would need to meet for such proposals to succeed. These recommendations address four guiding principles:

• ensuring that any offtakes are biologically sustainable and based on good monitoring;

• ensuring that incentives from any hunting opportunities are maximized, without discriminating between state agencies and the private sector;

• rewarding good biological management and long-term commitment to black rhino conservation; and

• ensuring that appropriate internal and external controls are in place.