The delay is not all bad by any means, Grellman says. And I believe him. There were a number of issues that arose last winter on the eve of the original auction date (including BEE: Black Economic Empowerment), and it was deemed imprudent to go forward without more discussion. Above all, Grellman says, Namibia likes to do things right. If that takes a bit longer, so be it.
Indeed, it is refreshing to talk to hunting officials in Namibia after talking to their counterparts in South Africa. Take the issue of Professional Hunter Discipline, for example. Namibia has a clear-cut policy for handling complaints about PH's. Grellman, in fact, is the man to contact. Over in South Africa, PHASA is working hard to catch up in that area.
Another area where Namibia is pushing forward is in BEE. Grellman says Namibia has trained 84 indigenous Hunting Guides, who are on a career path toward being full Professional Hunters. Remarkably, according to Grellman, all 84 are employed. Let's hear it for Namibia!
(Postscript: The Failure to allocate hunting concessions does not mean no hunting is taking place this year in Namibia. The country has a booming ranch-hunting industry. Plus, there is substantial hunting on what are called Conservancies. Elephant and other big game are on license there.)
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