Principal Objectives:
The National Hunting and Shooting Association (NHSA) is a South Africa based, apolitical, non-racist, and non-sexist association of firearm owners. Natshoot is also accredited with SAPS as a hunting and as a sport shooting association. As SAPS accredited Hunting & Sport Shooting association, NHSA has the following objectives:
- to develop and promote all aspects related to legal firearm ownership in South Africa and to work as close to SAPS and the CFR as possible;
- to develop and promote all aspects related to conservation through sustainable hunting in South Africa in particular and in Southern Africa in general;
- to develop and promote the sport of target shooting in all its forms, including competitive handgun, rifle, shotgun, semi-auto rifle/carbine, and black powder firearm shooting; the collecting, research, development, and reloading of cartridges and cartridge loads for competition target shooting or specifically for hunting purposes;
- to inform hunters and sport shooters, as well as the general public re the safe and responsible use of firearms for leisure and competitive sports shooting, and for hunting purposes;
- to inform hunters and sport shooters on issues pertaining to sustainable environmental conservation in general, as well as on ethical standards in hunting and sports shooting;
- to raise funds in order to implement or assist responsible and sustainable programs promoting any aspect of hunting, sport shooting or conservation through sustainable use in all its formats in Southern Africa;
- to promote and support the conservation of the world`s natural habitat & natural heritage through the sustainable utilization of wildlife, based on scientific data and on sound responsible economic principles, with specific emphasis on these aspects pertaining to Southern Africa, and;
- to co-operate, as responsible law-abiding citizens, with the Government and Authorities of South Africa in the promotion of hunting and sport shooting, as well as with the Governments and Authorities of the various countries in which the association has members if such needs would arise.
The NHSA position on the implementation of the FCA (Act 60 of 2000 as amended)
NHSA is committed to working with the South African Police Service (SAPS) and the SAPS Central Firearms Registry (CFR) to meet the objectives of the FCA.
NHSA holds the position that the FCA is a positive development in responsible and legal firearm ownership in South Africa. We also hold the position that the effective responsible and transparent implementation of the FCA should lead to the safer use of legally owned firearms in this country.
We thus actively support an Illegal Guns Free South Africa.
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NHSA Policy positions on different aspects:
We uphold and strive to maintain the following positions:
- NHSA will responsibly and appropriately fight for the right to legally own and use firearms where it is safe and responsible to do so;
- NHSA supports a strong and unified voice for appropriate training in the legal use of firearms and for the enhancement of the hunting and wildlife sector in South Africa;
- NHSA supports the principle of development of conservation-based rural development to generate income through appropriate and sustainable use of renewable natural resources (including the extension of hunting tourism in Southern African rural areas);
- NHSA will show responsible and appropriate support for government’s initiative in biodiversity conservation through sustainable use and will endeavour to in this manner, contribute to the eradication of rural poverty (after all hunting enhances and drives conservation and is a high-value economic contributor to rural development);
- NHSA will issue balanced, objective, and responsible comments on the safe use of firearms, on sport shooting, and on sustainable responsible hunting in the media;
- NHSA expects high standards in the safe, responsible, and accountable ownership and use of firearms from all firearm owners, and demand this from NHSA members.
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Natshoot unashamedly supports the sustainable, responsible and accountable implementation of a conservation-based international trade in rhino horn and in elephant ivory;
WE SUPPORT THE REAL FRIENDS OF RHINO CONSERVATION IN SOUTH AFRICA AND URGE OUR MEMBERS TO ALSO SUPPORT THEM
Natshoot also supports the conservation of lions through sustainable, responsible and accountable ethical and legal hunting of game ranch lions so as to protect the dwindling number of this high-value species in the wild. At Natshoot we are absolutely opposed to canned hunting as we perceive that to be similar to poaching.
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