SANParks welcomes report on management of wildlife
SANParks welcomes report on management of wildlife
Devdiscourse
May 4, 2021
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https://www.devdiscourse.com/article/headlines/1559711-sanparks-welcomes-report-on-management-of-wildlife
for photo.
The South African National Parks (SANParks) has welcomed the report of a
High-Level Panel into the management, breeding, hunting, trade and handling
of elephant, lion, leopard and rhinoceros.
The panel was appointed by the Minister of Forestry, Fisheries and the
Environment, Barbara Creecy to review policies, regulatory measures,
practices and policy positions that are related to the hunting, trade,
captive keeping, management and handling of elephant, lion, leopard and
rhinoceros.
SANParks Chief Executive Officer Fundisile Mketeni said as the body tasked
with the conservation of the country's natural heritage, SANParks sees the
release of the report as a historic moment that will assist in enforcing
responsible management of wildlife in the country.
"This report will assist in building capacity for key decision-makers to
understand wildlife legislation and to support responsible wildlife
management and environmental sustainability," Mketeni said.
Creecy released the report on Sunday. The panel recommended that South
Africa halt the captive breeding of lions, keeping lions in captivity, and
using captive lions or their derivatives commercially.
SANParks welcomed the prohibition set on canned-lion hunting.
"This paves a positive trajectory for South Africa considering the damaging
view many tourists and conservation bodies held against these kinds of
activities.
"However, SANParks hopes that the anticipated resultant growth in tourism
will not only save jobs but will create new opportunities for those who
depended on values chains linked to canned-lion hunting," said Mketeni.
He said the country had found itself on a collision course with many
partners in conservation including environmental non-governmental
organisations, other member states in the Convention on International Trade
in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), and nature lovers
who found activities such as captive breeding, of wild animals' problematic
in various ways.
"I have no doubt that this is a step in the right direction. Hopefully, we
will work hard as a collective to achieve the recommendations of the
High-Level Panel report," he said.
In addition, SANParks will play a critical role in supporting the
implementation of the recommendations for the protection of iconic species
which were the focus of the report such as rhino, elephant, leopard, and
lion.
"SANParks will do everything within its power to support the transformation
of the wildlife sector. The wildlife economy can play an important role in
community development, particularly those communities living adjacent to
national parks.
"If we are to hand over a better future to our next generation, it is
imperative to enhance the responsible management of our protected areas and
the conservation of these four iconic species.
"We take note of the great work done by the panel and we support the key
recommendations which, in our view, will go a long way towards aligning our
country's protected areas with international best practice by giving effect
to our national legislation," Mketeni said.
The appointment of the Panel by the Minister in October 2019 came after the
hosting of a colloquium on captive lion breeding in August 2018, which
recommended an end to lion breeding in South Africa.
It was also in response to a number of emotive and complex conservation and
sustainable use issues being raised by the public, particularly those
involving keystone species.