Photo: Namibia Professional Hunters’ Association
Danene van der Westhuyzen, president of the Namibia Professional Hunters’ Association (NAPHA), was recently elected to serve on the international organisation Dallas Safari Club’s (DSC) newly formed Conservation Advisory Board (CAB).
The CAB’s mission was to support conservation research and programme development, and would advise and assist the DSC’s board of directors, as well as the DSC’s Grants Committee on domestic and international conservation issues.
According to the DSC website, the CAB was comprised of scientists, policymakers and researchers.
Tanya Dahl, CEO of NAPHA, said the Namibian professional hunting fraternity completely supported the election of Van der Westhuyzen.
According to Dahl, Van der Westhuyzen was a hunter dedicated to the protection of fauna and flora, and realised the vital importance of habitat protection.
“Our president is the ideal choice to serve on the CAB. She is highly experienced and will add value to the committee through her experience in conservation in Africa. She is the right woman for the job,” Dahl said.
Other board members on the CAB also included Jeff Crane (Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation), Khalil Karimov (wildlife biologist), Rob Keck (director of conservation for Bass Pro Shops), Shane Mahoney (Conservation Visions), Tamas Marghescu (director general of CIC), and Ron Regan (executive director of the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies).
Corey Mason, executive director at the DSC and a certified wildlife biologist, would act as staff liaison.
Van der Westhuyzen was one of only a few qualified female professional hunters in Namibia, and the first woman to qualify as a dangerous-game professional hunter in the country.
