World Wildlife Day 2025 - SULi Members on ‘Wildlife Economy’
World Wildlife Day 2025 is upon us, and the theme this year is ‘Wildlife Conservation Finance: Investing in People and Planet’. Looking at the economics of conservation seems especially relevant considering current global affairs, and while this topic might seem focused on top-down funding, it also includes how communities are able to use their environmental resources to create economic autonomy from the bottom up. IUCN SULi has chosen to focus on a particular aspect of this: Wildlife Economy. The term itself is primarily used in African contexts, however there are various interchangeable terms used globally, all referring to a similar concept and definition. The African Leadership University defines it as using “wildlife, both plants and animals (marine and terrestrial), as an economic asset to create value that aligns with conservation objectives and delivers sustainable growth and economic development”. This includes five key wildlife economy activities: 1) ecotourism, 2) hunting and fishing, 3) wildlife ranching, 4) forest products trade and subsistence use, and 5) carbon markets.
To further explain, Dr. Sue Snyman, Dr. Nathalie van Vliet and Dr. Anita Varghese have kindly offered to answer a short set of questions helping to explain and give examples of wildlife economy in their regions.
Dr. Sue Snyman
1) Can you share any standout examples in the African region of communities that have benefited from wildlife-related economic activities?
An obvious example is Namibia where the Community-based Natural Resource Management Programme (CBNRM) was formalised through legislation in 1996, giving communities rights to benefit from wildlife.
The annual CBNRM report highlights the extensive benefits that communities are receiving from wildlife-related activities in the communal conservancies. As of 2022, there are 86 registered conservancies, (20% of the country), benefitting 200,000 individuals. There are, however, also other examples where communities are benefitting:
· Uganda is one of a handful of African countries which have legislated a percentage of park fees to go to socio-economic development projects in the communities living around the parks (Rwanda also has a formal tourism-revenue sharing programme). In addition, in Uganda, communities are allowed to collect selected forest products from the National Parks, such as thatching grass.
· In South Africa, the Makuleke community, following a successful land claim within Kruger National Park, initially ran both hunting and photographic tourism safaris, but now focus only on photographic tourism and benefit from the concession fees, as well as employment in the lodges and other businesses in the contractual park.
· Kenya’s conservancy model has also frequently been lauded as a successful model, though it is heavily dependent on international tourism and was severely impacted during the COVID-19 pandemic, resulting in revisions to the Wildlife Act to allow for broader areas for local communities to benefit from wildlife.
2) What are the biggest challenges in balancing economic growth with conservation efforts?
The monitoring and evaluation of the wildlife-based activities and the related conservation (investment in the asset base of the wildlife economy) is a major challenge and as Peter Drucker says “you can’t manage what you can’t measure”. We need to have clear, comparable measures for wildlife-based economic activities as well as in terms of the conservation (fauna and flora) on which these activities depend. Finding the correct, sustainable balance between use and the conservation of natural resources can also be a challenge, and also relies on effective monitoring and evaluation and the effective implementation of laws, rules and regulations. Capacity can also be a constraint, in terms of capacity to engage in and manage the diversity of wildlife economy activities sustainably.
“If countries can set up a supportive, enabling environment, and an industry that is effectively managed and monitored, we can truly align conservation and development sustainably.”
3) What policies or regulations have had the biggest impact (positive or negative) on the wildlife economy?
· South Africa’s Game Theft Act 105 in 1991 which enabled the private sector to own wildlife was instrumental in establishing and growing the wildlife economy in South Africa. In general, land access, use and ownership rights are essential in order to allow people to benefit from the land and the wildlife (fauna and flora) on it.
· Policies and regulations related to trade are also important in terms of enabling the wildlife economy. The African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfTA) of 2018 has enabled greater regional trade and it will be important to make use of this and, therefore, to have supportive national policies and legislation.
· Additionally, Namibia’s entrenching of community rights into the Constitution in 1996 was an important step in unlocking the wildlife economy in the country.
· International trophy hunting import bans can and will have a negative direct impact (as well as many indirect impacts in terms of the value chain and the related revenues and employment) on the wildlife economy in Africa, as well as on county’s freedom to utilise their natural resources in the way that they see fit.
4) What do you see as the future of a successful wildlife economy in the next 10–20 years?
The establishment of a supportive enabling environment through relevant policies, legislation and institutions; improving the business enabling environment to encourage private sector investment; cross-sectoral collaborations and partnership; comparable, consistent data collection on the value of the wildlife economy, as well as related to understanding the natural resources on which it is based and ongoing, consistent capacity building for all (communities, government, NGOs, private sector) to engage in and manage the wildlife economy – all of this will support the unlocking and growing of the wildlife economy, including new and different products and services, well developed value chains and extensive local, national and regional economic multipliers. At this stage, in Africa, most products are either consumed locally or sold raw, with no value addition, resulting in less employment and less revenues generated, there is huge potential to strengthen local value chains and also to diversify and grow wildlife economy products and services. Africa has the natural resources and the people to manage it. If countries can set up a supportive, enabling environment, and an industry that is effectively managed and monitored, we can truly align conservation and development sustainably.
Dr. Nathalie van Vliet
1) Is there an equivalent term for Wildlife Economy in use in Latin America?
There is no equivalent term in South America per se, but there are several examples of wildlife economies in this part of the world too.
2) What kinds of initiatives or enterprises make up the wildlife economy/biodiversity economy?
Across South America, wildlife economies take diverse forms, ranging from the use of pelts from captive wildlife for the luxury leather market (e.g., capybara, caiman, peccary) to wildlife-based tourism, such as jaguar observation and sport fishing. Additionally, these economies encompass the pet trade and the commercial trade of wild meat.
3) Can you give us some specific examples of how communities in Latin America have generated their own income from using wild species?
Sport fishing in Guyana:
Recreational fishing in Guyana’s inland waters has become a key element of sustainable tourism, providing economic benefits to Indigenous peoples while promoting conservation. The development of ecotourism packages that combine guided fishing experiences with cultural and ecological education creates a well-rounded tourism product. These initiatives allow visitors to gain a deeper appreciation of Guyana’s biodiversity and indigenous heritage while directly supporting conservation-driven travel. With support from the Sustainable Wildlife Management (SWM) Programme, the Government of Guyana, alongside local communities and the private angling sector, has established specific guidelines for sport fishing. These regulations are crucial for maintaining healthy fish populations, preserving biodiversity, and maximizing the economic potential of nature-based tourism. One of the most effective sustainable fishing practices is catch-and-release, successfully implemented in areas such as Rewa. This method minimizes fish mortality while fostering ecotourism. Additionally, proper handling techniques, such as using barbless hooks and limiting air exposure, significantly improve post-release survival rates, ensuring minimal impact on fish populations.
Ex-situ river turtle hatching facilities in North Rupununi, Guyana:
Communities in the North Rupununi are sustainably managing river turtles, contributing to their conservation while ensuring they benefit from this resource. Turtles and eggs of Podocnemis unifilis are occasionally used by community members for personal consumption, local trade, and traditional activities, such as using body parts for cotton spinning. As part of the Rupununi region's turtle management plan, communities monitor eggs in situ and, in cases of flooding, relocate at-risk nests to artificial hatcheries. Hatchlings are cared for by a team of community turtle caretakers until their shells harden enough to reduce predation. The hatchery is located within the community guesthouse, making it an integral part of the community’s tourism package. Tourists can participate in turtle releases during the Turtle Festival, help monitor nests, and learn about turtle ecology at the hatchery. Additionally, communities have established sustainable turtle-use rules, such as banning collection during the nesting season and promoting the protection of nests that are not at risk of predation or flooding. Recently, one community has created a turtle farm in a local lake, aiming to raise hatchlings to adulthood and explore sustainable trade opportunities for turtle meat and possibly the pet trade.
Dr. Anita Varghese
1) What are the perceptions around a wildlife economy in India both at the policy level and by the public?
The idea of a wildlife economy in India centres on tourism or ‘eco-tourism’. Wildlife based tourism is a growing industry and is gaining popularity among the local population. Very often in safaris and wildlife expeditions I feel there are a larger number of Indian tourists or visitors than international tourists. Visits to protected areas as part of eco-tourism packages are quite popular with the growing middle class of India.
In terms of benefits of this model to local communities it is usually in terms of revenue generated through ownership or management of the resorts or as wages gained from working in the related hospitality industry. Vulnerable and marginalised communities who live near the centres of tourism are usually employed and work for wages rarely are they owners of the enterprise.
Tiger amidst safari vehicles, Tadoba, Maharashtra, India - ePhotocorp
2) With India being a biodiversity hotspot, as well as having densely populated areas, the possibility for human-wildlife interaction can be high. This is often discussed in negative terms as 'conflict', but can you describe some cases where it has enabled communities to thrive economically?
India is indeed a case study for co-existence! A growing human population sharing a landscape with charismatic flora and fauna is hard to believe, but it exists and in some places like the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve (NBR) which is part of the Western Ghats Biodiversity hotspot, both wildlife and human beings thrive. Though not without tensions!
The NBR extends over an estimated 5500 sq kms with a fairly contiguous forested landscape. This contiguity is important for large mammals like elephants and tigers. Forest tracts are intersected by human settlements, townships, farm lands/ plantations, highways and roads. There are losses because of wildlife to property, life and livelihood for the people living here. The animals are also impacted through road kills, electrocution at fences, and injury sustained while negotiating infrastructures.
The tourism industry is one of the big revenue earners for the local communities and presence of wildlife and natural forests are the big attraction for tourists. Big and small role players have benefitted from the revenue earned through managing eco-tourism ventures in this landscape. Then again there is a cost to both wildlife and human life.
3) What are the major challenges in fully integrating national wildlife economy practices in India, and how might they be overcome?
A national wildlife economy through eco-tourism and nature education activities could become a source of sustained income for local communities. Community based wildlife tourism could possibly be that avenue. There has to be a lot more ownership created at the local level for such an effort to be truly successful. More partnerships to ensure that wildlife is not perceived only as threat to livelihoods but as a source of opportunities for communities living near protected areas. Ensuring protected areas do not become ‘poverty traps’ where local communities cannot access livelihood needs is at the core of making these partnerships successful. Recently the Prime Minister of India appreciated the role of local Indigenous Peoples in conserving tiger populations in a protected area. This kind of recognition is important to bridge the gap between stakeholders and to bring about equitable models of wildlife-based tourism.