Common sense isn’t so common anymore, it seems. When theories like, “Hunting helps to preserve species” enter the sphere, environmentalists and animal rights activists are forced to take a step back and shake their head, while simultaneously thinking up a peaceful and educated response.
But sometimes reactions to others’ and their opinions are not so tame, and such has been the situation in Kendall Jones’ case. When the young hunter posted photos of her proudly posing with recently killed wild animals – many endangered, mind you – from her trip to Zimbabwe, Africa, activists around the world sprung up in protest and heatedly bullied the teen for her actions.
Jones offset the criticism by stating that “Tanzania also has 15 photo-safari areas, which have been lauded as a non-consumptive alternative to traditional hunting tourism,” quoting an opinion article in National Geographic. “Unfortunately only 4 of the 15 photo-safari areas are financially viable. The remaining 11 are subsidized by hunter-generated funds. So without the financial resources provided by hunters to protect habitat and stop poaches, there would be no infrastructure for wildlife management.”
Her proposed theory, then, is that ‘hunting conserves species’ because spaces where wild animals are prevalent are maintained and protected by the funds earned from hunters.
But according to the International Union for the Conservation of Nature, hunters total contribute to about 1.3 percent of tourism revenue, and have only created 0.0001 percent of the jobs (and most are part-time) in the big game countries. In short, this means hunting contributes to about 0.3 percent of the national budget, but uses about a quarter of land.
Contrary to what Jones – and many other hunters – would like to believe, then, the non-consumptive tourism sector (meaning you can look but you can’t touch) is overall more profitable than trophy hunting. This data and more was deduced by Politifact.
Fact-based statistics like these can help enlighten a close-minded individual, but not when they are angrily screamed from a YouTube video or enclosed in an angrily-written email.
For this reason, having the grace to inform others – even if one disagrees with their actions – of fact-based truths is a very powerful skill, one activist Erin Janus seems to have mastered.
Just watch her video below. It’s very informative and does not attack Kendall Jones personally, which is why we’ve shared it here.
What are your thoughts? Share your comments below.
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dHQog4e2fsM]
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