PRESS RELEASE

For immediate release 26 May

2017

INFLATED MEDIA ON BURGERS RESIGNATION

UNFOUNDED
Inflated media reports that Stan Burger resigned as president of
the Professional Hunters Association of South Africa (PHASA)
earlier this week because he reeled under the pressure of some
captive-bred lion hunting supporters are unfounded.

PHASA acknowledges that our members have different and strong opinions on
how the associations resolution on the hunting of captive-bred lions (CBL) should
be implemented, and that this has caused conflict within the association. This is,
however, not the only reason that led to Stans resignation on 23 May, says
newly elected PHASA president, Dries van Coller.

The conflict [referred to above] may have caused some of the challenges that
both PHASA and Stan had to endure, address, overcome and resolve during the
past six months, but these challenges are not putting PHASAs CBL resolution in
jeopardy in any away. This resolution still stands, adds van Coller.

Stans reasons and motivations for resigning are not meant for public scrutiny
and debate as it has to do with the manner in which the association and its
members were governed in the past few months, and ought to be governed in
the future.

Both Stan and PHASA have agreed not to discuss these details in the press
because these matters are internal and personal, and have nothing to do with
the future of well-regulated, responsible and legal hunting in South Africa.

With that said, I need to clearly state that contrary to the inflated media reports
that we have witnessed this week, PHASA is not going to dissolve nor are we
about to heed to any demands that are not in the best interest of our members
or in violation of PHASAs constitution, notes van Coller.

Stan is a valued member of PHASA and the executive committee wishes him all
of the best, says van Coller.

He adds that PHASA will continue to safeguard, facilitate and promote the future
of legal and sustainable trophy hunting as part of responsible conservation. It is
every hunters duty to ensure that whatever we do benefits Africas wildlife and
contributes to the social-economic wellbeing of our communities, concludes van
Coller.
Other changes in PHASA leadership include the reinstatement of Barry York as
vice-president.

ISSUED BY THE PROFESSIONAL HUNTERS ASSOCIATION OF SOUTH

AFRICA
MEDIA ENQUIRIES: media@phasa.co.za