M van Schalkwyk on regulations for threatened & protected species
and norms & standards for hunting

2 May 2006

“One of the biggest obstacles to more effective conservation in South Africa
has been the fact that we did not have a national system to regulate the
management and sustainable use of protected species. This was one of the
reasons we passed the Biodiversity Act in 1994 to empower authorities, at all
levels, to better protect our natural heritage. Today we will use this
legislation to address the need for better regulation of listed species.” This
was how Marthinus van Schalkwyk, Minister of Environmental Affairs and Tourism,
on Tuesday introduced two new draft legal instruments related to the breeding,
trade, transport, and hunting of threatened and protected species in South
Africa.

Speaking at the De Wildt Cheetah and Wildlife Centre in Brits in the North
West Province, the Minister unveiled draft Threatened and Protected Species
Regulations and the much-anticipated draft National Norms and Standards for the
Regulation of the Hunting Industry. These will be formally published on 5 May
in the Government Gazette for public comment over the next six weeks. They are
also available to be downloaded on the Department’s website at http://www.environment.gov.za

“The greatest value of both these documents,” said the Minister “Is that
they will establish, for the first time, uniform national systems that will
apply the same standards across the country. The management of threatened and
protected species, both plants and animals, is currently regulated in terms of
provincial ordinances, whose application has tended to be inconsistent. These
new regulations and the norms and standards for hunting, will ensure that we
clear up the current confusion and close the loopholes that have allowed
environmental thugs to get away with immoral activities like canned hunting,
illegal trade, and unethical breeding. No longer will ‘province hopping’ allow
them to escape the law. No longer will there be any excuses for their abuse of
our natural heritage.”

Turning to the draft Regulations the Minister said: “We are issuing lists of
nationally threatened and protected species, and establishing a permit system
to be implemented by all provinces for the breeding, hunting, trade and
transport of listed species. The draft regulations effectively ban so-called
‘intensive breeding’ of listed large predators, like Cheetahs, Lions, Leopards
and Wild Dogs, for any purposes of hunting or sale for hunting and provide for
the formal registration of all captive breeding facilities, nurseries,
scientific institutions, sanctuaries, and rehabilitation facilities. Existing
operations will have three months from the commencement of the regulations to
apply for registration.”

“In effect,” said the Minister, “The days of captive breeding of listed
species for any purposes except science and conservation, are over. Any person
who contravenes these regulations, or who falsifies their applications, will be
liable for a fine and imprisonment of up to five years penalties that our
Environmental Management Inspectors (the “Green Scorpions”) will be instructed
to apply with vigour. It will also be forbidden to hunt any listed large
predator kept in captivity which has not been rehabilitated in an extensive
wildlife system and been fending for itself in the wild for at least two
years.”

Speaking about other provisions of the draft Regulations the Minister added:
“We are also establishing a Scientific Authority representing our Department,
the provincial authorities, South African National Parks (SANParks, South
African National Biodiversity Institute (SANBI), our natural history museums
and the National Zoological Gardens, to assist in regulating and restricting
trade in specimens of protected species. The regulations also give effect to a
number of our responsibilities in terms of CITES (the international agreement
on trade in endangered species).”

Speaking about the draft Norms and Standards for Hunting the Minister said:
“We have considered all of the recommendations made by our panel of experts
last year. We aim to permanently eliminate those aspects of utilisation that,
in recent years, have cast a shadow on our phenomenal conservation successes,
and left a stain on our reputation as world leaders in protecting and promoting
biodiversity. Hunting will now be permitted only by humane methods, in
accordance with strict fair chase principles, by hunters registered with
recognised hunting bodies, and in terms of carefully monitored and reviewed
off-take limits at both national and provincial level. There will be no hunting
on private land that borders national or provincial protected areas where
fences have been dropped, unless this is formally agreed to, by the landowner
and the management authority and then personally approved by the MEC or the
Minister. Our SANBI will also keep and maintain a National Hunting Register,
detailing how many animals have been hunted, for what purpose, where, and by
what method. In this way the monitoring and reporting on issues relating to the
management of protected species will be much improved.”
 
“Issues of breeding, trade, and hunting of protected and endangered species
remain amongst the most important and sensitive considerations in any national
conservation and biodiversity strategy,” said the Minister. “We believe that
these two draft documents take South African conservation to new heights and
that they establish a system to provide much-needed clarity and direction. We
urge all interested South Africans to examine the drafts and to make their
voices heard in this consultation process. Above all however, we undertake to
strengthen our compliance and enforcement capacity in cooperation with
responsible partners in conservation.”

Enquiries:
JP Louw
Cell: 082 569 3340

Mava Scott
Cell: 082 376 2757

Issued by: Department of Environmental Affairs & Tourism
2 May 2006