Napha spokesman Joof Lamprecht said there were 505 registered hunting professionals in Namibia and the Namibian trophy-hunting industry was the second biggest in Africa after Tanzania.

"Namibia has the second biggest hunting industry in Africa, second only to Tanzania, and is regarded as one of the best hunting grounds available with an enormous variety of scenery, species and hunting conditions," Lamprecht said.

Although he could not say how much money was generated from international hunters, he described the proceeds as "significant".

"The revenue generated from the over 5 000 hunters hunting in Namibia annually, when compared to the 750 000 tourists in total, is a substantial one and there is a higher expenditure per person in the hunting market compared to the normal tourist."

Lamprecht said his organisation was in close contact with the Ministry of Environment and Tourism to resolve issues regarding hunting legislation and the auctioning of Government concessions.

While trophy hunting was proving to be big business in Namibia and the rest of Africa, conservationists have urged governments to ensure that threatened species are not hunted to extinction."Yes, hunting is a form of consumptive tourism," Lamprecht acknowledged.

"Animals are hunted as trophies, but it is in actual fact a form of tourism with a very low impact and a very high return."

He said game translocation played a significant role in the repopulation of any area and as such was a critical conservation tool.

Translocation of game is seen as playing a major role in genetic diversity, increasing minimum population sizes of introduced species, boosting existing populations and supporting the recovery of natural biodiversity.

"The historical distribution of game, their sub-species and individual adaptations, habitat requirements and roles in eco-systems must be taken into account at all times," said the NPHA official.