There are “winners” and “losers” in the conservation of wildlife in Africa! H.E. the Ambassador of Zimbabwe proclaimed at the conference “Keep Calm and Let Africa Take the Lead. The EU-Africa Dialogue: Supporting communities in wildlife conservation” on 6 March 2018 at the European Parliament in Brussels. He stated that Southern African nations were amongst the “winners” with increasing national wildlife populations.

At this conference, organised by MEP Karl-Heinz Florenz, President of the European Parliament’s Intergroup on “Biodiversity, Hunting, Countryside”, representatives of the wildlife management authorities, parliaments, embassies and non-governmental organisations from Zimbabwe, South Africa and Namibia explained why the EU must “Keep Calm and Let Africa Take the Lead” in decisions about the management and conservation of Africa’s wildlife.

The message that the speakers and participants in the event delivered to the EU was clear. Africa’s wildlife management authorities and the leaders of conservation-related organisations in Southern Africa are successfully managing and conserving their wildlife through sustainable use methods, including hunting. Decision-makers in the EU should work with Africa’s leaders in order to continue, support, enhance, and replicate their success.