the role of tourism in natural resource management in the okavango ...

wildlife products. Fish, reptiles, amphibians, insects and even certain mammals were
not considered under the law (Campbell, 1997).
The introduction of statutory game laws did not solve the problem of unsustainable
wildlife utilisation in the Ngamiland District, and Botswana as a whole. Hunting
continued unabated and over the next 60 years the law was amended on several
occasions and numerous regulations bought into force. The revisions, however,
were of little significance, serving only to make the law more detailed. Generally,
these applied only to foreigners and settlers. However, for local people living outside
of tribal land, that is for those living on Crown (State) land, there were legal
restrictions placed on hunting (Campbell, 1997). Prior to Botswana falling under
British Colonial rule, the local chief directed the socio-economic and political
development of their chiefdoms. With the British assuming political control, there
was a shift in the control of natural resource utilisation and exploitation. In 1921, the
issuing of hunting permits commenced, which was legalised in 1931, so that Crown
residents could apply to hunt animals for food. It appears however, that for most
Crown Lands, the law was not enforced (Campbell, 1997).
5.4.1.14 National Attitudes Towards Wildlife
Even though most Batswana's lifestyles were based on subsistence crop agriculture,
wild plant-food collection and some hunting, status and social ties depended almost
entirely on cattle. Cattle and cattle-raising had the greatest importance in their lives,
and from the time of the declaration of the Protectorate, the Administration
recognised not only the over-riding importance of cattle, but also accepted their
economic value. With only poor arable crop potential, Bechuanaland was a cattle
country, and cattle were the primary and almost sole export commodity (Campbell,
1997).
In 1933, A. W. Pim was appointed "To inquire into the position of the Bechuanaland
Protectorate from the financial and economic points of view and to report thereon"
(Campbell, 1997, p. 17). The Pim Report set the future tone of development with
emphasis placed on the cattle industry. Wildlife was not considered in any way as a
national asset. Over the next thirty years, developments favoured cattle to the total
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