Hunting for Development: Global production networks and the commodification of wildlife in Namibia

Wealthy hunters from around the globe purchase hunting trips to Namibia worth thousands of dollars. For the animal, the moment when the bullet is fired from the hunter’s rifle decides on its future as either a living creature or as a trophy hanging in the fireplace room of a distant home. For the hunter, the moment is presumably a highlight of the vacation trip. Applying a utilitarian rationale to wildlife populations that have survived European colonisation, Namibia has legalised the controlled harvesting of individual animals on private game farms and in communal conservancies. Besides safeguarding wildlife populations, the aim of