Winners of the GOSCARS praised (AGRIMONITOR)

During the fourth annual Grassroots Owen-Smith Conservation Awards (GOSCARS) ceremony held in Windhoek recently, the minister of environment, forestry and tourism Indileni Daniel awarded the top-performing community conservancy and field workers. “Following Independence, the ministry adopted Conservation-based Natural Resources Management (CBNRM) as its driving philosophy, and in 1996, amended the Nature Conservation Ordinance to allow communities to establish conservancies to manage and benefit from their natural resources," said Daniel. Since then, Namibia’s CBNRM programme has grown to include 86 conservancies, 46 community forests, three community associations (inside national parks), and 20 fishery reserves. Daniel said that 20% of Namibia are conservancies, which complement the national parks, covering 17% of the country. The GOSCARS celebrates the life of the late Garth Owen-Smith, a pioneer of CBNRM in Namibia. Owen-Smith and Dr Margaret Jacobsohn co-founded Integrated Rural Development and Nature Conservation (IRDNC) – first to support the game guards, then to help establish new communal conservancies. IRDNC’s work continues today by supporting all aspects of CBNRM. “In the early days, community game guards worked under difficult conditions,” said Beaven Munali, a former assistant director of IRDNC. “During the apartheid era, rural communities viewed government conservation officers as the enemy, and vice versa. Game guards were tasked with reconciling the two parties, yet both sides suspected them of working for the ‘enemy’. These days, communities and ministries work together, and game guards are highly respected members of their communities.” Jacobsohn said that when Owen-Smith passed, people from different parts of the world as well as many people across Namibia donated money, wanting to honour him and his life's work. “We set up the GOSCARs as a living memorial to recognise dedicated community members who share his vision for community conservation.” This year, six exceptional field workers and one conservancy were recognised as GOSCARS winners. Each individual winner received N$30 000, N$10 000 of which goes to their conservancy, while Iipumbu Ya Tshilongo conservancy won N$100 000. Iipumbu Ya Tshilongo is located on the northern border of Etosha National Park, where human-wildlife conflict is severe, but income from tourism is low. This conservancy has nonetheless played an important role in limiting poaching in its own territory and Etosha, while working hard to reduce the wildlife-related losses suffered by its members. FORMER POACHERTwo of the GOSCARS winners this year were recognised as “Conservation Elders”, having dedicated most of their lives to CBNRM. Piet Hizarako of Anabeb conservancy in the Kunene Region exemplifies the story of the earliest community game guards. As a former poacher, he was appointed by the traditional leaders in the Warmquelle-Sesfontein area to help stop the rampant rhino and elephant poaching of the 1980’s. He came out of retirement in 2012 to train the next generation of game guards to respond to the latest wave of rhino poaching. Conservation elder Lahja Shoozi – the only woman to receive a GOSCAR this year – played an important role in establishing Sheya Shuushona conservancy in the Omusati Region. She is renowned for undertaking long patrols, diligently reporting elephant poaching incidents, and raising funds for wildlife-friendly water points. Conservancies in the ||Karas region generate little or no income and receive minimal external support, yet Conrad Dausab volunteered to work as a game guard for ||Gamaseb conservancy in 2017. He has since become the game guard supervisor and leads his team by example. Michael Masule Sihope, field officer of Impalila conservancy in the Zambezi Region, received his GOSCAR for two decades of commitment to human-wildlife coexistence against all odds. Impalila Island is located at the eastern-most tip of Namibia and provides important habitat for many wildlife species – including those that pose a threat to human life, livestock, and crops. PANGOLIN GUARDIANThis was the first time that a GOSCAR was awarded to a pangolin guardian. ‡Oma Sao of Nyae Nyae conservancy works with Pangolin Conservation and Research Foundation to rehabilitate pangolins that have been confiscated from the illegal wildlife trade, creates awareness about the threats this species faces, and assist anti-poaching efforts. Rhino ranger and senior game guard Richard ‘Tensie’ Uirab is similarly dedicated to protecting a threatened species. Working in Sorris Sorris conservancy, where rhinos are rare and hard to find, Richard tirelessly patrols his area and maintains a constant vigil against poaching threats.

Winners of the GOSCARS praised (AGRIMONITOR)

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Winners of the GOSCARS praised (AGRIMONITOR)

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