University of Aarhus ECOTOURISM AS A WAY TO PROTECT ...

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Ecotourism as a sustainable way to protect nature 1997). This shows that Environmental Impact Assessment is priority before carrying out any kind of activity in the wild. 3.2.6. Tourism/Mining: An African economic dilemma The economical problems are of a very different nature. The main thing is that the incomes are not divided equally between the natives and the whites. This makes them think that this is just a “white project” which does not involve them and worse, not leave them to live as they used to. This is the reason why Masai warriors killed a large number of wild animals to get their land again. Furthermore, Africa has a very important problem with mining. This consumptive activity is the main obstacle to conservation because this is the most powerful industry in Africa. Its interests are the opposites of conservation and ecotourism. The UNEP recognises “The copper mining industry in Phalaborwa has, in fact, long been a source of irritation to the management of the Kruger Park, as well as to a number of private game reserves in the vicinity. Airborne pollution and effluent from the industry have contaminated soil as rivers that feed the reserves” (Kock, 1994). But not only contamination is the problem - human lives are at risk too. 300 workers die each year due to mining. Furthermore, there is a contradiction between law, government and protection. The new minerals act of 1991 gives the minister the right “…to grant consent to an application for permission to mine where the state holds the state to any minerals…and gives priority to mineral rights over private ownership” (Kock, 1994). In 1995 a dispute emerged between mining, military and environmental interests by Madimbo Corridor. At the beginning of that period environmental interests seemed losing the battle against mining. National Park’s fault when thousands of people were removed from their land and their houses were burned in the name of conservation. It never involved them. Right now, conservation promise to create 33 jobs speaking about a “long-term” activity as 66
Ecotourism as a sustainable way to protect nature ecotourism. Mining companies were promising 2,000 jobs and it has always been there. The situation was very difficult because environmental organisations had to convince natives that the traditional “white conservationist power” wanted to help them. This means that natives can work in a short-term activity as mining, which is the African government favourite or in a long-term activity as conservation/ecotourism, etc. But at the time they solved the problem, not promising the panacea, but giving the exact information, they got a win-win situation. Sadly, not all examples are successful. In St. Lucia Game Reserve (in South Africa too) the battle against titanium and heavy metals mining was long and with no happy end. Convincing natives was not possible prevailing the “Black” idea about conservationist as exposed in Honey M., 1999. “Why all of a sudden is there all this activity and protest to save animals when there was no reaction at the time when people faced removal Is it because this time, there is a treat to the survival of a favourite holiday resort for whites” Another economical problem is that not all national parks in Africa give benefits although this is not the case with KNP. This park not only has benefits but it helps to finance other parks. 3.2.7. Conservation/tourism Conservation has caused several problems, maybe because of inexperience. Attracting people is not always an easy job, but it is known that tourists travel to see the animals, which now are called “the big five”: elephants, rhinos, leopards, buffaloes and lions. Sometimes, the population of these animals moves to other sites looking for food. Now they have been removed back into the National Parks to attract tourists. It is known that one of the reasons for tourists' unhappiness in visiting the national park (as commented) is that they were not able to see the animal they wanted. Then special places to 67
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University of Aarhus ECOTOURISM AS A WAY TO PROTECT ...

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