M van Schalkwyk to meet with elephant scientists, 18 Jan

16 January 2006

Ten of the world’s leading elephant scientists will meet in Cape Town this
week, 18 January, to debate the future of South Africa’s elephants in the
presence of Minister Marthinus van Schalkwyk and senior officials of the
Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism.

They have been asked to demonstrate the scientific evidence in support of or
against a number of contentious propositions such as:

* Are there too many elephants?
* Are they causing damage to biodiversity?
* Is action needed to reduce populations?
* Which management options are most appropriate?

Scientists from SANParks have already recommended to the Minister that
elephant populations should be reduced (see report at http://www.sanparks.org) through translocation,
contraception, range expansion and culling.

The Elephant Science Round Table arises from the Minister’s concern that
stakeholders have insisted that his policy guideline should be based on
scientific evidence but that there appears to be little consensus among leading
scientists.

“The Minister has said that his final decision would be based on the
available science, ethical and social considerations, indigenous knowledge,
environmental and tourism impacts. It is therefore important for him to get a
good understanding of the available science and identify knowledge gaps that
need attention,” said JP Louw, Head of Communications at the Department of
Environmental Affairs and Tourism.

The Science Round Table follows the Ministerial team hosting 17 local and
international stakeholder groups at an indaba in Cape Town in November.

“Unfortunately a number of elephant specialists who are based in the United
State (US), United Kingdom (UK) and Australia were not available for this round
table discussion. The Minister is approaching this issue very cautiously and it
is therefore likely that more scientific dialogue will take place before the
draft policy is published for public comment later this year.”

Panellists for the Elephant Science Round Table in Cape Town this week
are:
* Professor Norman Owen-Smith - Research Professor in African Ecology at the
University of the Witwatersrand.
* Professor Rudi van Aarde - Professor of Zoology and Director of the
Conservation Research Unit in the Faculty of Natural & Agricultural
Science, University of Pretoria.
* Professor Graham Kerley - Director, Terrestrial Ecology Research Unit,
Department of Zoology, Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University.
* Dr Hector Magome -Head of Research, South African National Parks
* Dr Ian Whyte - Research Manager: Large Herbivores, South African National
Parks.
* Dr David Cumming - Tropical Resource Ecology Programme, University of
Zimbabwe.
* Bruce Page - Lecturer in Ecology in the School of Conservation and Biological
Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal.
* Professor Rob Slotow – Professor, School of Conservation and Biological
Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal.
* Dr Bob Scholes - Systems Ecologist, Council for Scientific and Industrial
Research.
* Dr Brian Huntley (Facilitator) – Director, South African National
Biodiversity Institute.

For more information, please call: JP Louw
DEAT Chief Director of Communications
Cell: 082 569 3340

Issued by: Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism
16 January 2006