CAMPFIRE Association and the Africa Resources Trust

In 1989 the southern African nation of Zimbabwe began the Communal Areas Management Program for Indigenous Resources (CAMPFIRE). Under this program and similar ones established in other nations, local residents of communal lands surrounding national parks and wildlife preserves are encouraged to utilize wildlife as an economic resource. Much of the money that is earned through CAMPFIRE and redistributed to local communities comes from selling hunting licenses to European and American trophy hunters. In the following viewpoint, two groups who collaborate in administering CAMPFIRE—the CAMPFIRE Association and the Africa Resources Trust—argue that hunting is an important component of the sustainable management of African wildlife. Giving local residents an economic stake in wildlife reduces illegal poaching while providing resources for schools, medical clinics, and other community projects...