The Ministry of Environment, Forestry, and Tourism says Germany's decision to restrict or ban the import of hunting trophies could harm Namibia's conservation efforts. 

Hunters from Germany and elsewhere flock to Namibia during hunting season to do trophy hunting, spending top dollar in search of a prized trophy. 

Once the animals are hunted, the taxidermists get involved to prepare the trophy before it is exported to the hunter. 

However, the German government announced its intentions in January to no longer allow the import of trophies because of poaching and conservation concerns. 

The Ministry of Environment and Tourism, however, says the decision will harm Namibia's conservation strategy.

Spokesperson Romeo Munyanda points out that tourists from Germany bring much-needed revenue for conservancies and private landowners, as 80% of German hunters identify Namibia as the best hunting destination in Africa. 

It is against this background that Namibia, through the Ministry of Environment, has appealed to the German government to consider Namibia's unique situation before a final decision is made.

"Hunting in itself is an economic sector that creates revenue generation for the state and creates employment for the local people, with the benefits that come. The benefits that come with sustainable hunting in fact promote the existence of wild animals despite the human-wildlife conflict, where people's livelihoods are destroyed, people are injured, and sometimes people's lives are lost. So with these unpleasant interactions, people need a reason as to why they should continue to tolerate the co-existence with wild animals, and because of the opportunities that are presented by sustainable hunting, people are able to tolerate them, and that is why the ministry and country believe that banning the importation of hunting trophy into Europe and Germany will be catastrophic for Namibia and other countries across the continent." 

Namibia is said to generate nearly N$200 million from trophy hunting annually.