As Trophy Hunters Cheer, Wildlife Stares Down the Barrel

With the appointment of Mr Willie Aucamp as Minister of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment (DFFE) confirmed, the National Council of SPCAs (NSPCA) keeps our focus, in the public interest, on ensuring that crucial wildlife matters are handled lawfully, ethically, and with fairness.

In our earlier correspondence to the President, we highlighted the need for careful consideration of animal welfare in any leadership change at the department. Minister Aucamp’s publicly reported links to trophy hunting and captive wildlife organisations make this an issue of public interest – one that calls for accountability, ethical leadership, and vigilance to protect South Africa’s animals.

As the only legislated national animal welfare organisation and inspectorate, we have a legal and moral duty to safeguard the interests of animals and to hold decision-makers to account where their actions may compromise those interests.

We also note, with profound disappointment and concern, how organisations promoting captive wildlife breeding and trophy hunting have openly celebrated this appointment. Statements of support – praising “responsible trophy hunting” – reveal an industry emboldened, not restrained. These sentiments stand in stark contrast to the growing global rejection of such practices, and to South Africa’s hard-won progress toward ending the exploitation of captive-bred wildlife.

The DFFE’s leadership has far-reaching implications, not only for conservation and biodiversity, but also for how South Africa is viewed internationally in its handling of wildlife trade, trafficking, and “sustainable use.” The world is watching and trust in this portfolio’s independence is essential.

We stand resolute in our duty, for the animals who have no voice, and for the South Africans who still believe that the well-being of wildlife should be at the forefront of our minds.