"The hunting industry in Namibia is buoyant and the condition of animals on auctions excellent," he said.
"The buyer is protected because the money for animals bought is paid into a fund. Should a bought animal die on transport, the buyer gets his money back with an interest rate."
A professional game catching company handles the animals and delivers them to the new owners within two months of an auction.
Wild game is also hunted in communal areas, earning rural people an income from tourism and sustainable trophy hunting in a country where 35 percent of the population are unemployed.
"So far 50 communal conservancies are registered covering a total area of 118,704km2 or 14 percent of Namibia's total surface area, benefiting over 200,000 people" says Leon Jooste, deputy minister of environment and tourism.
"In many cases trophy hunting is the primary source of income for these often marginalized and remote communities.
"Trophy hunting, both as a commercial industry as well as a wildlife management tool, holds superior advantages for these communities, who often find themselves in direct competition with wildlife for the natural resources within their immediate areas."
RSS