When hunting in Africa is discussed in Europe, the media usually focuses on a few very rare or iconic species, using the term "trophy hunting". In reality, hunting is primarily associated with common and widespread species, especially in areas where other economic activities are not viable. Thus, hunting generates income for various environmental and species conservation activities, including the management of protected areas and community-based species conservation.

The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) regulates this trade sustainably to ensure that it does not threaten the survival of species. This international agreement covers several species for which regulated hunting is an economically important tool for their conservation and management. Although CITES has 184 parties, including the EU and its member states, some European governments consider it appropriate to introduce stricter national legislation on the import of hunting trophies.

"Hunting, nature conservation, and livelihoods are crucial. This applies not only to this conference and its content, but also to my government and the local communities in Namibia that live alongside wildlife and deal daily with human-wildlife conflicts, including human casualties. Thanks to hunting, we have been able to fund conservation and community development projects. Consequently, we have succeeded in increasing our wildlife population. In Namibia, it is believed that hunting is conservation and conservation is hunting, therefore the two cannot be separated. We defend this view, and we want others to fully understand and acknowledge it. That is why it is important for me to attend this conference, to ensure our voice is heard and our views are taken into account when EU member states make decisions related to wildlife that may negatively affect our communities and conservation programmes." (Namibian Minister of Environment, Forestry and Tourism)
Photograph by Donal Boyd used