Over the past two decades conservationists have come to recognise that traditional approaches to conservation have been inadequate because they have ignored the human and social dimensions of natural resource and protected area management. (Western and Wright 1994). This recognition, combined with experiences from rural development and the conceptualisation of 'sustainable development' has spawned a movement in conservation away from reliance on protection and enforcement. New approaches place more emphasis on sustainable utilisation of resources such as wildlife and the involvement of local people and other stakeholders directly in conservation decision-making (Western and Wright 1994).